United States President Donald Trump has said he is not concerned about whether the Iran national football team competes at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, amid uncertainty surrounding the country’s involvement in the tournament. Speaking in an interview with Politico on Tuesday, Trump dismissed concerns about Iran’s participation, stating, “I really don’t care,” if the team takes part in the competition. “I think Iran is a very badly defeated country. They’re running on fumes,” he added. The comments come against the backdrop of rising tensions in the Middle East and questions over whether Iranian officials and supporters would be granted entry into the United States, one of the three host nations of the tournament. The 2026 World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico — the first time the competition will be staged across three countries. Tensions escalated after coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel on Iranian targets over the weekend. Iran subsequently launched missile and drone attacks on American and allied facilities across the Gulf region, raising fears of a broader regional conflict. Global football governing body FIFA has traditionally sought to keep politics separate from its competitions, including the World Cup. Iran had earlier secured qualification for the 2026 tournament and is scheduled to face the New Zealand national football team, Belgium national football team and Egypt national football team in the group stage. However, Iran’s football federation president, Mehdi Taj, indicated that the prevailing 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 Iranian sports outlet Varzesh3 following the strikes. The 2026 tournament is expected to draw millions of fans worldwide, but geopolitical developments could complicate logistics and participation for some nations as preparations intensify.
Trump says he is unconcerned about Iran’s 2026 World Cup participation
