United States President Donald Trump has said he is unconcerned about whether the Iran national football team takes part in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as uncertainty grows over the country’s participation in the tournament. Trump made the remark in an interview with Politico on Tuesday, saying, “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 stated.
Questions have emerged over Iran’s participation following rising tensions in the Middle East and concerns about whether Iranian officials and supporters would be allowed entry into the United States, one of the host nations of the tournament. The US and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iranian targets on Saturday.
Iran later retaliated with missile and drone attacks on American and allied facilities across the Gulf region, raising fears of a wider regional conflict