FIFA World Cup: Trump says Iran’s participation NOT appropriate!
Iran national team’s FIFA World Cup participation is in doubt following February’s US-Israeli attack on their country.
Donald Trump has again weighed in on Iran’s participation at the upcoming FIFA World Cup finals to be co-hosted by the US.
Mexico and Canada are the other two co-hosts for the expanded global tournament which gets underway on 11 June.
There are just over 90 days to go before the start of this global showpiece, but there are questions around Iran’s participation.
This follows a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran on 28 February which claimed the life of the country’s leader Ali Khamenei.
And while Trump, through FIFA President Gianni Infantino, said Iran is welcome to participate, things have seemingly changed.
Now, Trump believes it would not be appropriate for the Iran national team to be at the finals for their own life and safety.
Iran are in Group G alongside Belgium, New Zealand and Egypt, and they scheduled to play all their group games in the US.
Also read | FIFA World Cup: Will Iran be at the finals amid US-Israeli attack?
FIFA WORLD CUP: TRUMP DOESN’T THINK IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR IRAN TO BE AT THE FINALS
“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,” said Trump in a social media post as per Al Jazeera.
Also read | FIFA World Cup: New twist in Iran’s participation in the US
IRAN ALREADY CONSIDERING THEIR PARTICIPATION
On Wednesday, Iran’s Minister of Sports and Youth Ahmad Donyamali revealed that the country is in no position to participate in the FIFA World Cup.
Donyamali also cited safety issues for the Iran national team, adding that the conditions are not appropriate for Iran’s participation.
“Given that this corrupt government has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances do we have the appropriate conditions to participate in the World Cup,” Donyamali told IRIB Sports Network as per BBC.
“Our boys are not safe, and conditions for participation do not exist.”
“Over the past eight or nine months, two wars have been imposed on us and several thousand of our people have been killed and martyred. Therefore, we definitely do not have the possibility for participation,” added Donyamali.
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