Iran Says It Will Not Participate in 2026 FIFA World Cup
Iran’s sports minister says the national team cannot participate in the upcoming World Cup following US-Israeli attacks that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran says it will not participate in the upcoming FIFA World Cup, citing the killing of its Supreme Leader during the ongoing war with the United States and Israel.
Speaking on state television Wednesday, Iran’s sports minister Ahmad Donyamali said the country cannot take part in the tournament after the US allegedly killed Ali Khamenei.
“Considering that this corrupt regime has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup,” Donyamali said.
World Cup Matches Set in the US
The upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
However, all of Iran’s group-stage matches are currently scheduled to take place in US cities, including Los Angeles and Seattle.
Iran had earlier secured qualification for the tournament, which is set to run from June 11 to July 19.
War and Security Concerns
Iran’s government says the war launched by the US and Israel on February 28 has already caused heavy casualties.
Officials claim the conflict has killed more than 1,200 people and injured over 12,000 in less than two weeks.
Tehran has responded by launching waves of missiles and drones targeting Israel, US military bases in the Middle East, and regional infrastructure.
“Our children are not safe and, fundamentally, such conditions for participation do not exist,” Donyamali said.
Federation Had Earlier Raised Doubts
Even before the latest statement, the country’s football leadership had already questioned whether the team would travel.
Mehdi Taj, head of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, said shortly after the attacks that the tournament no longer felt like a priority.
“After this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,” he said during an appearance on state television.
FIFA Says Iran is Welcome
Despite the escalating tensions, FIFA says Iran remains welcome to compete.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he discussed the situation with Donald Trump while reviewing preparations for the tournament.
According to Infantino, the US president reiterated that Iran’s national team would still be allowed to play in the competition.
Whether Iran will officially boycott the tournament, however, remains unclear.