Rubio says no objection to Iran playing in World Cup but people with ties to IRGC won’t be allowed

WASHINGTON – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on April 23 Washington had no objections to Iranian players participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup but he added the players will not be allowed to bring with them people with ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

“Nothing from the US has told them they can’t come,” Mr Rubio told reporters.

US President Donald Trump also said his administration “would not want to affect the athletes” in comments he made at the White House.

The 2026 football World Cup is set to begin on June 11 across the US, Mexico and Canada.

Mr Paolo Zampolli, a Trump envoy who has no official connection with the World Cup, had earlier suggested that Italy should replace Iran at the tournament.

“The problem with Iran would be not their athletes. It would be some of the other people they would want to bring with them, some of whom have ties to the IRGC. We may not be able to let them in but not the athletes themselves,” Mr Rubio said.

“They can’t bring a bunch of IRGC terrorists into our country and pretend that they are journalists and athletic trainers,” Mr Rubio added. Washington has designated the IRGC as a “foreign terrorist organisation”.

Currently, there is no suggestion Iran will withdraw or be banned from the tournament that Italy missed out on.

After the start of the Iran war, Iran requested that FIFA move the team’s three group matches from the US to Mexico, which was rejected.

The US and Israel attacked Iran on Feb 28. Iran responded with its own strikes on Israel and Gulf states with US bases. US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed thousands and displaced millions. A fragile ceasefire in the Iran war began over two weeks ago. REUTERS