U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that the US does not object to Iran's participation in the 2026 soccer World Cup but will not allow people with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Council (IRGC) to attend. This comes after a proposal by a Trump envoy, Paolo Zampolli, suggested that Italy should replace Iran at the tournament. However, there is no suggestion that Iran will withdraw or be banned from the tournament that Italy missed out on. The IRGC has been designated as a "foreign terrorist organization".