Iran star sends message to Trump amid World Cup – Sports News
Iran’s Alireza Jahanbakhsh talking with reporters (Image: Mario Tama/Getty Images)
As Iran’s veteran Alireza Jahanbakhsh prepares for his fourth FIFA World Cup, he has spoken candidly about each his personal outlook and the collective mindset of his squad forward of a match happening beneath outstanding and extremely charged circumstances. Despite the tense geopolitical climate, he has expressed no reservations concerning the security of himself or his teammates on U.S. soil.
Since late February, Iran has been embroiled in battle with each the U.S. and Israel, fueling regional instability and escalating diplomatic tensions between the nations. From a soccer perspective, this unstable state of affairs has put Iran’s national staff — which clinched their spot on the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, back in March 2025 — in addition to FIFA, in a deeply uncomfortable place.
After prolonged negotiations, Iran’s three group stage matches will go forward on American soil as initially deliberate, although the squad will likely be based mostly simply throughout the border in Tijuana on the Centro Xoloitzcuintle. The staff arrived in Mexico on Sunday, with a quantity of gamers, together with Jahanbakhsh, sporting “#168” pins — a solemn tribute to the reported quantity of youngsters killed within the Minab college bombing in February.
Drawn into Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand, the Iranian squad will likely be allowed to cross into the U.S. sooner or later prior to every of their matches, in accordance to a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson who spoke with Reuters. With tensions between the U.S. and Iran looming over the competitors, Jahanbakhsh was lately requested about his ideas on enjoying on American territory within the coming weeks.
In an interview with ESPN, the FCV Dender EH playmaker acknowledged, “Obviously, in every profession, you have the organization who is dealing with the whole situation. And with us, with football, it’s FIFA. And the symbol of FIFA is FIFA, let’s say, Football Uniting the World.”
Iranian national staff gamers and workers arrive in Mexico (Image: Mario Tama/Getty Images)
“And this is also, I would say, the way we look at it in a way that we are here, of course, to play football, to enjoy the game. I mean, this is a beautiful game that can bring people together and nations, different colors, different cultures. And this is what we feel the responsibility as well, as Iranian, as Persian people, I would say.
“And we wish to give a good impression to the world that we’re right here to be, as an instance, to call for the peace, call to be united. At the top of the day, we’re all people. And we do various things. And we’ve got totally different cultures. We have totally different colours. But on the finish of the day, we’re all human. And we’ve got to make sure that exterior of soccer, issues are in a good order.”
Jahanbakhsh added that their focus remains on the sport itself, avoiding commentary on issues where they may lack “a lot information about.”
However, he emphasized that “because the Iranian national staff, we’re right here to give a good impression within the sense of, as an instance, like I stated, we’re peaceable people.
Iran flag on show during the FIFA World Cup Draw (Image: Roberto SCHMIDT / AFP through Getty Images)
“We have a very rich history. We have a very, let’s say, pure culture. And that’s what we try to do. And I mean, maybe there are things happening all around. But this is the most important thing that we’ve been all over the years, wherever we played with the national team, different tournaments, different countries.
“Now, yeah, as a result of of the conditions within the U.S. as nicely. So the aim is similar. The state of affairs is similar for us. And most significantly, like I stated, that we go on the market to play some soccer.”
When asked about his and his teammates’ safety – a concern previously voiced by U.S. President Donald Trump – Jahanbakhsh said he had no concerns, expressing complete trust in FIFA’s ability to handle that side of things.
“FIFA is liable for all of the groups who’re collaborating within the World Cup. So now it is within the U.S. It might have been in a totally different nation. And nonetheless, the FIFA and the group is accountable to make sure that the security is there for gamers, for everyone who’s concerned in that match,” he said. “So in that sense, I’m personally not. I do not suppose the group has that feeling as nicely in a sense of security or that kind of state of affairs.”
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