Donald Trump hits out at Iran World Cup boycott threats with blunt statement | Football | Sport

US President Donald Trump has confessed he ‘does not care’ if Iran participates in this summer’s World Cup finals hosted by his country. The tournament, set to take place across America, Mexico and Canada, begins on June 11 amidst significant uncertainty over Iran’s involvement.

This follows a joint attack on Iran initiated by the United States and Israel, prompting the Iranian military to retaliate by targeting American bases throughout the Middle East. Among the countries attacked were the United Arab Emirates and its capital, Abu Dhabi, with the turmoil extending to Dubai, where departures from the country were suspended.

The geopolitical unrest has serious implications for the sporting world, sparking concerns that Iran may boycott this year’s World Cup. As it currently stands, all three of Iran’s group stage matches are scheduled to be played in the US.

Now, the American President has commented on Iran’s potential participation on US soil this summer. During an interview with POLITICO, the 79-year-old was asked about the issue.

He said: “I really don’t care. I think Iran is a very badly defeated country. They’re running on fumes.”

Meanwhile, the chief executive of US Soccer has not indicated that the World Cup co-hosts anticipate Iran withdrawing from this summer’s tournament.

**Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. **Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings

JT Batson told Sky News that the World Cup co-hosts are “very supportive” of Iran participating in the tournament later this year.

He 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 added: “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.”

However, Mehdi Taj, the Iranian Football Federation president, was unable to provide any guarantees about their participation in the tournament.

“With what happened today and with that attack by the United States, it is unlikely that we can look forward to the cup,” he said.