US President Donald Trump has suggested that a World Cup nation will find out whether they will be subject to military action “over the next probably 10 days”.
As the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in the US, Canada and Mexico, nears, supporters will no doubt be looking forward to what promises to be a festival of football with the very best players in the world set to take centre stage.
Previous tournaments have been used to unite nations, fans and players despite the respective political climates around the globe.
However, ahead of the 2026 edition of the World Cup, concerns remain surrounding the US’ foreign policy.
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Since the start of 2026, President Trump has become embroiled in a war of words with Iran’s leadership after protests erupted in the Middle Eastern nation in late December, with citizens taking to the streets over the poor economic state of the country.
Iranian security forces retaliated with force, with Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reporting that 7,015 people have been killed during the protests, with a further 53,000 arrested.
In January, Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, blamed the US for the deaths. Throughout the civil unrest, Trump has urged protesters to carry on before pledging that “help” was "on the way".
Iran is one of the 38 nations named on the Trump administration’s travel ban list.
This has already raised concerns among supporters who intend to attend the World Cup.
Last month, a US State Department official told the Mirror that the "ban applies to the issuance of immigrant visas only, and does not apply to non-immigrant visas, such as those for tourists, athletes and their families, and media professionals intending to travel for the World Cup".
Meanwhile, Trump, who has also called for regime change in the nation, has repeatedly pressured Iran into reaching a deal with the US about its nuclear programme.
Iran has claimed that its nuclear programme is peaceful and not used to develop nuclear weapons.
Despite this, over the past week, the US has sent military forces to the Middle East, with talks between American and Iranian negotiators reportedly ongoing in Switzerland, according to BBC News.
Speaking on Friday (February 20), Trump explained how it will be clear “within probably 10 days” whether a deal can be reached while US military assets remain in the nation should America choose to take military action.
“So now we may have to take it a step further, or we may not,” Trump said.
Topics: Donald Trump, FIFA World Cup
Luke Davies