Trump reveals his stance on Iran's participation at the World Cup

The Russian national football team was not even allowed to compete in the qualifiers.

The Iran national football team made it through, but following the outbreak of war in the Middle East, it is now uncertain whether they will be able to participate in this year’s World Cup—especially since all three of their scheduled group matches are set to be played in the United States.

Although, as host nation, the U.S. might be expected to show some flexibility, President Donald Trump has made it clear that football and sports are not his priority at the moment. His focus, he says, is entirely on breaking Iran’s resistance.

Iran to boycott the World Cup due to war?

Asked about Iran’s participation at the World Cup in an interview with Politico, Trump replied:

"I really don't care. I think Iran is a very badly defeated country. They're running on fumes." According to the schedule, Iran is due to play in Los Angeles against the New Zealand national football team and the Belgium national football team before facing the Egypt national football team in Seattle. Last year, after the U.S. bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities, Iran did not withdraw from the World Cup. However, what has unfolded since Friday represents an entirely new dimension — a real war.

Iran without their best player because of Trump?

The president of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, has already stated that no one in Iran expects to “watch the World Cup with hope.” Meanwhile, FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom said on Saturday that the organization’s intention is for all qualified teams to participate safely in the tournament. However, this decision does not rest solely with FIFA—and certainly not with the Iranian federation. This is a game played by the powerful.