Sport

I don’t care if Iran plays at 2026 World Cup – Trump

United States President, Donald Trump, has said he is unconcerned about whether Iran national football team participates in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, amid growing uncertainty surrounding the country’s involvement in the tournament.

By japhet samuel

2 min read 16 views Updated Oct 12, 2026

United States President, Donald Trump, has said he is unconcerned about whether Iran national football team participates in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, amid growing uncertainty surrounding the country’s involvement 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.


The global football governing body, FIFA, has traditionally sought to keep politics separate from the World Cup, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Iran had earlier qualified for the tournament and is scheduled to face New Zealand national football team, Belgium national football team and Egypt national football team during the group stage.

However, Iran’s football federation president, Mehdi Taj, recently suggested that the current security situation could affect the country’s plans to participate.

“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 tournament, scheduled for 2026, will be the first World Cup hosted by three countries and is expected to attract millions of fans from around the world.

Your reaction

Pass it on

Share this story

Social links open in a new tab

Story guide

Understand this story

Summary

United States President, Donald Trump, has said he is unconcerned about whether Iran national football team participates in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, amid growing uncertainty surrounding the country’s involvement in the tournament. United States President, Donald Trump, has said he is unconcerned about whether Iran national football team participates in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, amid growing...

Key takeaways
  • United States President, Donald Trump, has said he is unconcerned about whether Iran national football team participates in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, amid growing uncertainty surrounding the country’s involvement in the tournament.
  • United States President, Donald Trump, has said he is unconcerned about whether Iran national football team participates in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, amid growing uncertainty surrounding the country’s involvement 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.
Article FAQ

What is this story about?

United States President, Donald Trump, has said he is unconcerned about whether Iran national football team participates in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, amid growing uncertainty surrounding the country’s involvement in the tournament. United States President, Donald Trump, has said he is unconcerned about whether Iran national football team participates in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, amid growing...

Who published this story?

Glow 99.1 FM published this story with japhet samuel listed as author.

When was it published?

March 4, 2026

Federal High Court Adjourns Malami, Son’s Trial to March 10

Continue reading

Federal High Court Adjourns Malami, Son’s Trial to March 10

News · 2 min readRead next

Join the conversation

Comments (0)

No comments yet. Start the conversation.

Keep reading

Reader favourites

  1. 01Portugal to Face Super Eagles ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup214 views
  2. 02Grammy Awards 2026: Full Winners List, Historic Wins & Major Snubs181 views
  3. 03SUSPECTED JIHADISTS ATTACK NIAMEY AIRPORT162 views
  4. 04Iran Threatens US After Trump’s Warning156 views