President Trump ‘Doesn’t Care’—But Will Iran Play in the 2026 World Cup?

Iran was the only country missing at FIFA’s planning meeting in Atlanta this week.

Iran was the second team from the AFC to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. | AFP/Getty Images

In light of the recent regional war in the Middle East, questions over Iran’s participation in the World Cup this summer have multiplied.

Iran has competed in the past three World Cup tournaments and was the third country (behind Japan and New Zealand) to qualify for this summer’s competition in North America. The nation drew Group G and is currently scheduled to open group play in Los Angeles against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21, before traveling to Seattle to face Egypt on June 26. If the U.S. and Iran both finish second in their respective groups, they could play each other in the Round of 32 in Dallas on July 3.

According to Politico, FIFA held a three-day event in Atlanta for participating nations this week to review logistics surrounding the tournament’s facilities and match organization. Iran was the only country not present, spurring further uncertainty about the nation’s plans.

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What Did President Donald Trump Have to Say?

President Donald Trump (left) received the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize at the World Cup draw on Dec. 5. | Jia Haocheng/Pool/Getty Images

“I really don’t care,” if Iran participates, President Trump told Politico on Tuesday morning. “I think Iran is a very badly defeated country. They’re running on fumes.”

The U.S and Israel launched “preemptive” airstrikes on Iran on Saturday as part of President Trump’s “major combat operations,” killing Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and commencing a now-escalated conflict across the Middle East.

Iran has responded with widespread missile and drone attacks on Israel, the U.S.-allied states of Oman and Saudi Arabia and several countries with U.S. bases in the Persian Gulf. The number of casualties in the region has already surpassed 1,000, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

The rising conflict comes less than three months after FIFA president Gianni Infantino presented Trump with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize at the World Cup draw in December.

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What Has Iran Said?

Iran’s status for the 2026 World Cup is uncertain. | (Photo by Claudio Pramana/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

“What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,” Iranian soccer federation president Mehdi Taj told the Iranian sports outlet Varzesh3 following the strikes.

Prior to the conflict, Iran was already one of two World Cup-qualified nations, alongside Haiti, under Trump’s most restrictive travel ban, which was issued via executive order in June 2025 banning all immigrant and tourist visas for Iranian nationals on the basis of Iran being “a state sponsor of terrorism,” according to the White House’s proclamation.

Although Iran’s players, staff and support personnel would be exempt from the ban during the World Cup, any other visa exemptions—including for top government officials—would be left to the State Department’s discretion. For example, in December, not every Iranian representative planning to attend the World Cup draw in Washington, D.C. received approval, including Taj.

“We want this to be a safe and secure World Cup,” FIFA World Cup task force director Andrew Giuliani said in a January interview. “So yeah, of course, we want the teams to be here and to play, but we also understand that most fan bases are going to come here to enjoy an incredible World Cup, to add to the experience. But it’d be foolish, in understanding what Iran is going through right now, to expect that we would just open our borders.”

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What Happens If Iran Doesn’t Compete?

Giuliani did not seem overly concerned about the state of Iran’s participation following the airstrikes.

“We’ll deal with soccer games tomorrow,” he posted Saturday on X about Iran. “Tonight, we celebrate their opportunity for freedom.”

The largest state sponsor of terrorism in my lifetime is dead. Today's action by the 45th and 47th President of the United States will make the world a safer place and start a chain reaction of peace. My heart is with the thousands of American service members' families who were… https://t.co/pyNJnvjR8r

— Andrew H. Giuliani (@AndrewHGiuliani) February 28, 2026

The FIFA rules regarding a nation’s withdrawal or exclusion from the tournament provide no specificity.

Article 6.5 of FIFA’s 2026 World Cup regulations, published last year, addresses withdrawals due to extraordinary, unforeseen events: “If a Participating Member Association withdraws or a match cannot be played or is abandoned as a result of force majeure, the authorised FIFA organising body (including the Tournament Operation Centre) shall decide on the matter at its sole discretion and take whatever action is deemed necessary.”

Article 6.7 then addresses a nation’s withdrawal or exclusion more broadly, again stating that “FIFA shall decide on the matter at its sole discretion and take whatever action is deemed necessary,” including potentially opting “to replace the Participating Member Association in question with another association.”

FIFA secretary-general Mattias Grafström said Saturday that the organization would “monitor developments around all issues around the world.” There has been no further comment from the organization since.

Given the recency of the combat operations against Iran, it could take weeks before a decision is made.

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