Marco Rubio has said the United States has no objection to Iranian players competing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but warned that individuals linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will not be allowed entry.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Rubio stressed that Washington’s position is to protect athletes while maintaining national security restrictions.

“Nothing from the U.S. has told them they can’t come,” Rubio said, referring to Iran’s participation in the tournament.

Donald Trump also echoed that stance, saying his administration “would not want to affect the athletes,” in remarks at the White House.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, scheduled to kick off on June 11, will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

However, Rubio drew a firm line regarding non-playing personnel.

“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,” he said.

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

The comments come amid earlier controversy sparked by Paolo Zampolli, who suggested that Italy should replace Iran at the tournament—a proposal that drew criticism and has no official backing.

There has been no indication that Iran will withdraw from the competition or face a ban. Iran had previously requested that its group-stage matches be moved from the United States to Mexico following the outbreak of hostilities, but that request was rejected by FIFA.

Tensions remain high after the escalation of conflict involving the U.S., Israel and Iran earlier this year. A fragile ceasefire has been in place for just over two weeks following a series of strikes and counter-strikes that resulted in significant casualties and displacement across the region.

Despite the geopolitical backdrop, U.S. officials insist the tournament will proceed with athletes at its centre, even as security considerations shape participation off the pitch.

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Advocacy groups issued a travel advisory on Thursday, warning that visitors travelling to the U.S. for the 2026 World Cup may face arbitrary detention or deportation, among other ​human rights abuses.

The warning, which came less than two months before the sporting ‌event kicks off in Mexico, was signed by dozens of groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP.

The event will take place against a backdrop of widespread immigration crackdown by the Trump administration and the erosion ​of federal protections for racial minorities and members of the LGBTQ community.

Fans, players, journalists and ​other visitors may face racial profiling, searches of electronic devices, or risk of ⁠cruel treatment if they end up in immigration detention facilities, according to the advisory.

The ​groups added that people from immigrant communities, racial and ethnic minority groups, and LGBTQ individuals are “most ​vulnerable to serious harm” when travelling to the U.S.

For this reason, they said, visitors should exercise caution and have an emergency contingency plan.

“FIFA has unique leverage right now to pressure the U.S. government to respect the fundamental ​human rights of every person visiting and attending the games, as well as those working and ​living in the 11 U.S. host cities,” the ACLU said in a statement referring to the sport’s global ‌governing ⁠body.

“That’s why the ACLU and other members of the Dignity 2026 Coalition have been urging FIFA to act. But FIFA has yet to offer meaningful assurances.”

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In a statement, the world soccer organisation said: “As per article 3 of the ​FIFA Statutes, FIFA is ​committed to respecting all ⁠internationally recognised human rights and shall strive to promote the protection of these rights.”

It cited several actions and a special rights advisory group as “evidence ​of FIFA’s commitment to human rights across all key activities and actors ​connected to ⁠the tournament.”

Thursday’s warnings follow a March statement from Amnesty International that the tournament is drifting far from the “safe, free and inclusive” event originally promised by FIFA

The World Cup is set to hold 104 matches across ⁠the United ​States, Mexico and Canada, starting in June. Eleven U.S. ​cities will host matches for the sporting event, including East Rutherford, New Jersey, just outside New York, where the championship ​match will be held.

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A top envoy to U.S. President Donald Trump has asked FIFA to replace Iran ‌with Italy in the upcoming World Cup, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.

The plan is an effort to repair ties between Trump and Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after the two fell out amid the American president’s attacks against Pope Leo XIV over the Iran war, ​the FT reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

“I confirm I have suggested to Trump and (FIFA president Gianni) ​Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup. I’m an Italian native, and it would ⁠be a dream to see the Azzurri at a US-hosted tournament. With four titles, they have the pedigree to justify ​inclusion,” U.S. special envoy Paolo Zampolli told the FT.

The White House, FIFA, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) ​did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

Italy suffered a shock in March after the national team missed out on the World Cup for the third time in a row following a 4-1 penalty shootout defeat by Bosnia and Herzegovina in their qualifying playoff final.

Iran qualified for ​a fourth successive World Cup last year but after the start of the war requested that FIFA move the team’s ​three group matches from the U.S. to Mexico.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on a visit to an Iran squad training camp in Turkey ‌last month ⁠that all matches would take place as scheduled, while offering the team help with preparations for the tournament.

“We are preparing and making arrangements for the World Cup, but we are obedient to the decisions of the authorities,” Iranian football federation (FFIRI) President Mehdi Taj told reporters at a pro-government rally in Tehran on Wednesday.

“For now, the decision is for the national team ​to be fully prepared for the ​World Cup.”

The decision on which ⁠country would come in if the Iranian government withdrew the team lies in the hands of FIFA, which under Article Six of the World Cup regulations is at liberty to call ​up any nation it chooses to fill the vacancy.

The AFC would be expected to ​lobby hard for ⁠the replacement to come from Asia with the United Arab Emirates, who lost a qualifying playoff to Iraq last November, the obvious choice.

The UAE have nowhere near the footballing pedigree of the Italians, however, having appeared at only one edition of the World ⁠Cup finals ​in 1990 when they lost all three matches.

The World Cup, which is ​also being co-hosted by Mexico and Canada, gets underway on June 11 with Iran scheduled to kick off their campaign against New Zealand in Los ​Angeles four days later.

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