With just a few months left for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, the world currently finds itself in several major tragic incidents. With Mexico torn between cartel violence, the Middle East currently finds itself a part of the USA-Israel-Iran fiasco.
Recently, the USA and Israel launched an attack on Iran over the weekend of Feb. 28, 2026, following which Iran retaliated by bombing and launching missiles on several Middle-Eastern countries, including the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. Iran's participation in the World Cup was already questionable based on the country's presence on Trump's travel ban list. However, their World Cup participation status has now taken a new turn.
Speaking to Politico, Donald Trump was asked about the chances of the Iranian national team taking part in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament. Without offering a direct answer, the USA President claimed that he did not care about it. “I really don’t care. I think Iran is a very badly defeated country. They’re running on fumes.”
Trump's comments came after the Iranian soccer federation President Mehdi Taj, addressed their team's World Cup status following the strikes. “What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope.”
Iran is currently scheduled to play New Zealand in Los Angeles on Jun. 15, Belgium in Los Angeles on Jun. 21, and Egypt in Seattle on Jun. 26. If both the U.S. and Iran manage to finish second in their respective groups, they could potentially face off in a Jul. 3, 2026, elimination match in Dallas.
USA President Donald Trump's FIFA World Cup 2026 special role explained
Speaking at the Davos Kick-Off for the 2026 World Cup, FIFA President Gianni Infantino assigned Donald Trump a special role for the upcoming World Cup's final. “This trophy will be handed out on [Jul. 19, 2026] to the captain of the team who will win the World Cup. I will give it together with the President of the United States, the host country. Nobody can touch this trophy.”
