LOADING ERROR LOADINGPresident Donald Trump extended a somewhat two-faced invitation to Iran’s national soccer team on Thursday to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Trump said the team is welcome to join the tournament, but he seemed to caution against doing so, nearly two weeks after the United States and Israel attacked Iran. Advertisement“The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety,” Trump wrote in a social media post. The team’s first World Cup appearance came in 1978, as the Islamic Revolution was underway. The sports minister’s assertion and Trump’s subsequent invitation come just days after seven members of Iran’s national women’s soccer team were granted humanitarian visas in Australia after the team traveled to the Women’s Asian Cup prior to the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, CNN reported earlier this week.

Source: Huffington Post March 12, 2026 22:31 UTC