An expert has revealed whether the US could exclude nations from the 2026 World Cup after Donald Trump issued a threat to a country set to take part in the tournament.
The 2026 World Cup, which is set to take place across the US, Mexico and Canada, is just 132 days away, but uncertainty and concerns remain about whether the US is fit to host the tournament after the Trump administration announced visa freezes and travel bans over the past year, which may impact supporters intending to attend the showpiece event.
Among the nations impacted by the 75-nation visa freeze and travel restrictions was Iran.
Throughout winter, there has been unrest across the nation, with thousands of protesters who have taken to the streets over the economic state of the country, killed by security forces.
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US President Trump has spoken out on the matter several times and even told Iranians that “help” was “on its way” and to “keep protesting” earlier in January.
Since then, members of the Iranian government and Trump have sent threats back and forth, with the 79-year-old saying “time is running out” for Iran to strike a deal on its nuclear programme.
On Wednesday (January 28), Trump claimed a “massive Armada” was “moving quickly, with great power” towards Iran.
It is thought that the so-called “Armada” the President was referring to is a US naval fleet in the Gulf.
Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s Foreign Minister, responded by saying the nation’s military was ready “with their fingers on the trigger” to “immediately and powerfully respond” to any US aggression.
On Friday (January 30), Trump issued Iran an ultimatum and said they have to avoid using nuclear force and stop killing protesters to avoid US involvement and military action in the region.
And with seemingly no end in sight in relation to political tensions between the countries, concerns have been raised about Iran’s participation in the World Cup.
In an exclusive interview with SPORTbible, Professor Simon Chadwick, who runs GeoSport and has previously served as director of research for the organisers of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, having also advised Barcelona, explained how it is possible that the US calls for Iran’s exclusion from the tournament.
But such a decision could prove complex and come with huge political and economic costs.
After suggesting that the chances of the US being stripped of hosting the World Cup were highly unlikely, Chadwick, 61, claimed: “What we may alternatively see [to the US being stripped]… is the United States calling for the exclusion of Iran from the World Cup.
“Because figures suggest thousands, if not tens of thousands, of people have been killed by the government. It may well be that this pivots from being a US issue to being a much broader global issue.
“It could be that the United States turn around and calls for the exclusion of Colombia. I think that for people out there who believe that FIFA will seriously consider stripping the US of its hosting rights… this is just stuff of fantasy.”
Colombia is one of the countries that has been subject to threats of US action by Trump over the past month.
Chadwick then explained how stripping a host nation’s rights goes beyond a footballing decision and would have a huge economic and political impact on Trump and the US government’s relationship with FIFA.
Ultimately, a decision on banning Iran – or any other nation – would be made by FIFA, not the Trump administration or any other political figure.
“They'll [FIFA] be on the ground working on security issues,” Chadwick added.
“They'll be on the ground working on sponsorships and partnerships. They'll be on the ground dealing with broadcasting and media content.
“So it is part of FIFA's rules that if you become an event host, at some point, the host nation steps aside and FIFA comes in and runs the event. So this is a FIFA decision, ultimately.
“It's not a United States decision. It's not a British government decision. It's not a football fan decision. This is a FIFA decision.”
Chadwick also stated that FIFA’s decision may be influenced and that the organisation doesn't “make decisions in isolation”, and will likely be consulting with various stakeholders, including governments and sponsors.
It should be considered that FIFA has not suggested excluding Iran, Colombia or any other nation from the 2026 World Cup.
SPORTbible has contacted FIFA for comment.
Topics: Donald Trump, FIFA, Football, FIFA World Cup
Luke Davies