Rubio Says Iran Can Play at World Cup, but Those With IRGC Links Will Be Banned

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran could not ‘bring a bunch of IRGC terrorists into our country’ and pretend they were soccer coaches or journalists.

Players from Iran's national soccer team pose for a photo before a World Cup qualification match against North Korea at Azadi Stadium in Tehran, Iran, on June 10, 2025. Vahid Salemi/AP Photo

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on April 23 that Washington has no objection to Iran taking part in this summer’s soccer World Cup in North America but that nobody with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) would be allowed entry into the United States.

His comments were made after U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy for global partnerships, Paolo Zampolli, suggested to FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the White House that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup.