World Cup 2026: US rejects call to replace Iran with Italy

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that Iranian shot players volition beryllium welcomed astatine this year’s World Cup.

Rubio made this announcement connected Thursday, clarifying that the United States authorities is not successful favour of a proposition that Italy could regenerate them successful the tournament.

While addressing reporters successful the Oval Office, Rubio refuted claims that the authorities had requested the Iranian squad to refrain from attending the World Cup.

However, helium cautioned that the US mightiness inactive prohibit introduction to definite members of the Iranian delegation whom it deems to person connections with Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is classified arsenic a violent enactment by Washington and respective different nations.

“No 1 from the US has informed them that they cannot attend,” Rubio remarked regarding Iran’s information successful the World Cup.

“The contented with Iran does not prevarication with their athletes, but alternatively with immoderate of the different individuals they whitethorn privation to bring along, immoderate of whom are linked to the IRGC,” Rubio explained. “We whitethorn not beryllium capable to licence ...