The United States, the host country, is not seeking to exclude Iran from the 2026 World Cup, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday, following speculations about a possible replacement of the Iranian team.
“The issue with Iran wouldn’t be their athletes. It would be some of the other people they want to bring with them, some of whom have ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” Rubio told journalists.
“I don’t know where this is coming from, these are speculations that Iran might decide not to come, and that Italy would take its place,” he added.
As doubts loom over Iran’s participation due to the war in the Middle East, a Donald Trump advisor mentioned in the Financial Times the idea of replacing Iran with Italy, which is not qualified for the tournament held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
Italian officials, however, have rejected this possibility, emphasizing that the team did not secure a spot in the competition.
Rubio emphasized that Iranian players are free to participate if they wish.
“If they decide not to come on their own initiative, it’s because they have decided not to come. What they can’t do is smuggle in a bunch of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps terrorists pretending they are journalists and physical trainers.”
AFP
