US Clears Iranian Players for 2026 World Cup, but IRGC-linked Individuals Not Allowed
The United States has confirmed that Iranian players will be allowed to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is set to begin on June 11 across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. However, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made it clear that individuals with ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will be banned from entering the country.
Rubio stated that the U.S. government has no objection to Iranian athletes competing in the tournament, but emphasized that any accompanying personnel with links to the IRGC would not be permitted. “Nothing from the US has told them they can’t come,” Rubio remarked. This stance aligns with President Donald Trump’s previous comments, where he indicated that the administration would not prevent Iranian athletes from participating.
Despite this, the situation raised eyebrows when Paolo Zampolli, a Trump envoy without an official connection to the World Cup, suggested that Italy should replace Iran in the tournament. However, the focus shifted to preventing people with alleged IRGC connections from entering the U.S., rather than barring the Iranian national team itself.
The U.S. has designated the IRGC as a “foreign terrorist organization,” and officials are determined to prevent any individuals linked to it from entering the country, even if they claim to be journalists or athletic trainers. “They can’t bring a bunch of IRGC terrorists into our country and pretend that they are journalists and athletic trainers,” Rubio stated.
Despite the U.S. position, there are no indications that Iran plans to withdraw from the tournament. In a related development, Iran had requested that FIFA move its three group-stage matches from the U.S. to Mexico following the outbreak of the Iran war, but this request was denied.
The 2026 World Cup will be a global spectacle, but it is now set against a backdrop of geopolitical tension, with the ongoing Iran war and fragile ceasefire further complicating international relations.
