Iran has indicated it won’t participate in FIFA World Cup 2026 following escalating tensions with the United States and Israel.
Iran’s sports minister, Ahmad Donyamali, said on Wednesday that the country cannot take part in the tournament after recent airstrikes reportedly killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
“Considering that this corrupt regime has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup,” Donyamali told Iranian state television.
Tension
The conflict intensified after US and Israeli airstrikes on 28 February, triggering broader tensions across the Gulf region and raising questions about Iran’s participation in international sporting events.
FIFA World Cup 2026 will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada from 11 June to 19 July 2026.
In the tournament draw held last December, the Iran was placed in Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand.
All three of Iran’s scheduled group matches are set to take place in the United States, with two games planned in Los Angeles and one in Seattle.
Iran still ‘welcome’ – Donald Trump
Meanwhile, despite Iran’s stance, US President Donald Trump reportedly told Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, that the Iranian national team would still be welcome to compete at the tournament.
Infantino confirmed the remarks following discussions about preparations for the competition, although Trump previously told Politico he “didn’t care” whether Iran participated.
First withdrawal since 1950
Meanwhile, the president of Iran’s football federation, Mehdi Taj, has also questioned whether sending the team to the tournament would be appropriate under the current circumstances.
“If the World Cup is like this, who in their right mind would send their national team to a place like this?” Taj said during an interview with Iranian state television.
If Iran withdraws from the tournament, it would mark the first withdrawal from a World Cup since the 1950 FIFA World Cup, when both the France national football team and the India national football team pulled out before the competition began.
The situation continues to evolve as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East escalate, leaving uncertainty over whether Iran will ultimately take part in football’s biggest global tournament.