- His comments came only two days after a meeting with FIFA president Gianni Infantino
- he said the United States would still allow the Iranian national team to compete in the tournament if they qualify
- Meanwhile, developments involving Iran’s women’s football team have also drawn international attention
United States President Donald Trump has warned that Iran’s national football team could face safety risks if they participate in the upcoming FIFA World Cup scheduled to be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that Trump made the remarks on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, saying that although the Iranian team would technically be allowed to compete in the tournament, he believed it might not be safe for them to do so given the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
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His comments came only two days after a meeting with FIFA president Gianni Infantino at the White House, where the football governing body chief said the Iranian squad would be welcomed to participate in the global tournament.
The escalating conflict in the region began after joint military strikes by the United States and Israel targeted Iranian facilities on February 28, raising uncertainty about Iran’s involvement in international sporting events, including this summer’s World Cup.
Infantino acknowledged that the situation in Iran had been part of discussions during his meeting with Trump. Despite the tensions, he said the United States would still allow the Iranian national team to compete in the tournament if they qualify.
Meanwhile, developments involving Iran’s women’s football team have also drawn international attention. Several members of the visiting squad in Australia recently sought asylum after reportedly being labelled “traitors” in their home country following a protest before a match.
According to Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, seven players initially applied for asylum while the team was in Sydney. However, one of the players later changed her decision after speaking with teammates who had already left the country.
Burke told parliament that the player had been advised by colleagues to contact the Iranian embassy, which subsequently became aware of the group’s location. Authorities later moved the remaining players from their original safe house to another location for security reasons.
The rest of the squad departed Sydney and arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, early Wednesday, according to photographs taken at the airport.
Australian officials said each player was privately allowed to consider the asylum offer to ensure that any decision made was voluntary.
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