FootyChatter.com

World Cup Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty Images U. S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he doesn’t care if Iran participates in the 2026 World Cup, which the United States will co-host. Iran has qualified, and is scheduled to play matches in Los Angeles and Seattle, but its participation has been thrown into doubt by the American and Israeli military assault that has killed Iranian leaders and triggered a widening conflict in the Middle East. Advertisement The attacks have raised questions about whether Iran will send a team to the World Cup or whether the U. S. government might restrict the Iranian team’s participation. Trump, in a Tuesday interview with Politico, was asked about the subject. “I really don’t care [if Iran participates], ” he reportedly said. “I think Iran is a very badly defeated country. They’re running on fumes. ” His statement clashes with the message that FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, has sent over the past year as it attempted to reassure the world that everyone, from players to fans, would be “welcome” at the tournament. Trump and his administration have, at times, echoed that rhetoric. But in his first comments on Iran’s World Cup participation since Saturday’s attacks, he sent a different message. A White House spokesperson, when asked to clarify or expand on Trump’s Politico quote, referred The Athletic to the President’s comments. A spokesperson for the White House’s World Cup task force referred to task force director Andrew Giuliani’s comments to Politico, in which he supported the U. S. military action, which, he said, “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. ” Spokespeople for the Iranian football federation did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. A FIFA spokesperson declined to comment. Mattias Grafström, FIFA’s general secretary, said Saturday — hours after the U. S. and Israeli assault began — that, “of course, our focus is to have a safe World Cup with everybody participating. ” And a FIFA source with knowledge of the matter told The Athletic Sunday that no plans had changed regarding Iran’s participation. However, Iranian representatives weren’t present this week when a World Cup planning meeting, previously scheduled and involving all participating soccer federations, kicked off in Atlanta, two sources confirmed to The Athletic. (Politico, Sports Business Journal and others were first to report the absence. ) Advertisement A FIFA source — who, like others, was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly — noted that participants could’ve joined the meetings virtually, but internet disruptions and broader upheaval in Iran made that difficult. FIFA will distribute content from the meetings to those who couldn’t attend, the source said. Darin La Hood, co-chair of congressional soccer caucus and Republican congressman, told The Athletic on Monday that he “didn’t know yet” if Iran would compete in the tournament. “I think it’s too early to tell, ” he 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. So again, put aside the politics of what’s going on there and the taking out of the Ayatollah. If you put the soccer team in a silo, they deserve to be there and I hope they come and participate. ” He insisted the team would “absolutely” be safe if they did come. “The members of the team are not complicit with the malign activities of the Iranian regime. 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 told Sky News earlier Tuesday that the USSF is very supportive of 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. Advertisement “We played Iran a number of times in the World Cup and 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. ” If Iran were unable or unwilling to participate in the World Cup, FIFA, per its own regulations, would have broad discretion to call in a replacement team or adjust the tournament accordingly. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle