United States President, Donald Trump, has said he is unconcerned about whether Iran’s national football team participates in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Trump made the remark in an interview with Politico on Tuesday, stating, “I really don’t care,” if Iran takes part in the competition.
“I think Iran is a very badly defeated country. They’re running on fumes,” he added.
Questions have emerged over Iran’s involvement in the tournament following rising tensions in the Middle East. There are also concerns about whether Iranian officials and supporters would be allowed entry into the United States, one of the host nations.
The United States and Israel recently launched coordinated strikes on Iranian targets. In response, Iran carried out missile and drone attacks on American and allied facilities across the Gulf region. The escalation has raised fears of a broader regional conflict.
The global football governing body, FIFA, has traditionally sought to keep politics separate from the FIFA World Cup.
The 2026 tournament will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. It will mark the first time the World Cup is hosted by three countries.
Iran had earlier qualified for the competition and is scheduled to face the New Zealand national football team, Belgium national football team and Egypt national football team during the group stage.
However, the president of Iran’s football federation, Mehdi Taj, recently indicated that the security situation could affect the country’s participation plans.
“What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,” Taj told the Iranian sports outlet Varzesh3 following the strikes.
The 2026 World Cup is expected to attract millions of fans from around the globe despite the growing geopolitical tensions.
