President Trump Could Not Possibly Care Less If Iran Decides Not To Play In World Cup
Trump has other worries regarding Iran.
President Donald Trump has concerns regarding Iran at the moment, but none of them have anything to do with whether the Iranian men's national team chooses to withdraw from the World Cup this summer.
Iran was the first team to qualify for the World Cup, which will be hosted across North America later this year, and received a draw to compete in Group G alongside New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt. The nation's first group stage match is scheduled for June 15 at SoFi Stadium in California, but following the U.S.-Israel joint strikes across Iran, the team's participation in the tournament is up in the air.
President Trump has made it clear that he does not care if Iran opts not to compete in the World Cup.
"I really don’t care," Trump told Politico Tuesday when asked about Iran’s participation. "I think Iran is a very badly defeated country. They’re running on fumes."
Trump previously mentioned that athletes, staff members and family members would receive an exemption from countries on the banned list to enter the United States for the tournament. The attacks across the Middle East, however, could change that leading up to the tournament.
Members of the Iranian community take part in celebrations following the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on March 01, 2026 in on Iran on February 28. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
The U.S. men's national team will compete in Group D with Paraguay, Australia, and another team yet to be determined. If the U.S. were to finish second in its group and Iran followed suit in its group, the two teams would face off in the knockout round in a match that would be played in Dallas.
It's fair to assume President Trump – along with the entire world – would be paying close attention to that matchup.
Iran's women's team sent a message earlier this month before kickoff in the Women's Asian Cup held in Australia as players stood silent during the playing of the country's national anthem. The moment came just days after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior officials were killed in an air strike.