President Donald Trump has stated that he has no interest in whether Iran competes in the 2026 World Cup, even as military tensions between the two nations reach a breaking point.
The tournament, hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, is set to begin on June 11.
When asked if Iran should be allowed to play, Trump told Politico that he "really doesn’t care," adding that he views Iran as a "badly defeated country" that is currently "running on fumes."
These remarks follow recent U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, which led to retaliatory attacks from Tehran. The fighting has raised questions about whether international sports can continue as planned.
While Iran is scheduled to play its matches in Los Angeles and Seattle, the head of the Iranian football federation, Mehdi Taj, admitted it might not be "realistic" for the team to participate given the current crisis.
FIFA has stayed out of the political argument for now, simply stating that their goal is to host a "safe World Cup with everybody participating."
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