White House signals indifference as questions mount over Iranian team’s participation in tournament co-hosted by U.S.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he is unconcerned whether Iran participates in the 2026 World Cup, a statement that appears to contradict previous assurances from soccer officials that all qualified teams would be welcome at the tournament.
Iran has qualified for the tournament and is scheduled to play matches in Los Angeles and Seattle. But recent American and Israeli military actions that killed Iranian leaders have raised questions about whether the team will attend or whether the U.S. government might restrict their participation.
When asked about the subject in an interview with Politico, Trump was blunt.
“I really don’t care if Iran participates,” Trump reportedly said. “I think Iran is a very badly defeated country. They’re running on fumes.”
The comments stand in contrast to messages from FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, which has spent the past year trying to assure the world that all players and fans would be welcome at the tournament.
Trump and his administration have sometimes echoed that sentiment, but his latest remarks suggest a different approach.
A spokesperson for the White House’s World Cup task force pointed to comments task force director Andrew Giuliani made to Politico. Giuliani supported the U.S. military action, saying it “removes a major destabilizing threat and will help protect people around the world, including Americans and the millions planning to attend the 2026 World Cup in the United States.”
FIFA’s Position and Recent Developments
FIFA General Secretary Mattias Grafström said Saturday, just hours after the American and Israeli assault began, that “of course, our focus is to have a safe World Cup with everybody participating.” A FIFA source said no plans regarding Iran’s participation had changed.
However, Iranian representatives were not present this week when a previously scheduled World Cup planning meeting began in Atlanta.
The meeting involves all participating soccer federations, and two sources confirmed Iran’s absence.
Politico, Sports Business Journal and others first reported that Iranian officials did not attend.
A FIFA source, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, noted that participants could have joined the meetings online. But internet disruptions and broader upheaval in Iran made that difficult. FIFA will share meeting content with those who could not attend, the source said.
Congressional and Soccer Officials Weigh In
Darin LaHood, a Republican congressman and co-chair of the congressional soccer caucus, on Monday said that he “didn’t know yet” if Iran would compete in the tournament.
“I think it’s too early to tell,” LaHood said. “What’s amazing is the quality of their team. They qualified in a very, very difficult division that they’re in. They deserve to be in the World Cup like they deserved to be in the World Cup in Qatar four years ago.”
LaHood said the team would “absolutely” be safe if they came to the United States.
“The members of the team are not complicit with the malign activities of the Iranian regime,” he said. “You can separate sports teams that have nothing to do with politics from brutal regimes. Iran and the Ayatollah are the chief sponsor of terrorism in the Middle East. But Americans have the ability to separate.”
He added: “No one is saying that they are not wanted in the tournament. FIFA is not saying that. We’re not saying that. We hope they come and participate.”
U.S. Soccer Federation CEO J.T. Batson also said that the USSF supports Iran playing in the World Cup.
Batson said: “FIFA president Gianni Infantino shared over the weekend the intention of a safe and secure World Cup where all teams are participating. And we’re certainly very supportive of that.”
He noted that the U.S. has played Iran multiple times in the World Cup and said, “just like any other team of the 47 other teams we could play in the World Cup, our goal would be to win. And so we look forward to doing just that.”
Spokespeople for the Iranian football federation did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. A FIFA spokesperson declined to comment.
What Happens If Iran Cannot Play
If Iran were unable or unwilling to participate in the World Cup, FIFA would have broad discretion under its own regulations to call in a replacement team or adjust the tournament accordingly.
Iran has qualified for the World Cup six times. The 2026 tournament will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.