Iran has announced that it will not take part in this summer’s FIFA World Cup 2026, with the country’s sports authorities citing recent attacks involving the United States and Israel as the reason for the decision.
Iran’s Minister of Sports, Ahmad Donyamali, made the declaration during a television interview, stating that the country could not travel to the United States for the tournament following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
According to Donyamali, the circumstances surrounding the attacks and the wider destruction suffered by Iran made participation in the global football competition impossible.
“Since this corrupt government assassinated our leader, we have no conditions under which we can participate in the World Cup,” he said.
He further explained that the country had endured significant losses in recent months, describing the situation as one in which Iran had effectively faced two wars within a short period.
“In view of the malicious measures taken against Iran, two wars were forced upon us within eight or nine months, and several thousand of our people were killed. Therefore, we definitely have no possibility of participating in this way,” he added.
Iran had been scheduled to face New Zealand national football team and Belgium national football team in Los Angeles on June 15 and June 21 respectively, before taking on the Egypt national football team in Seattle on June 26 during the group stage of the tournament.
The competition will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The development comes despite earlier assurances from Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, that Iranian players would be welcomed at the tournament.
Infantino said the issue had been discussed with Donald Trump, who he indicated had expressed support for the Iranian team’s participation.
“We also spoke about the current situation in Iran and the fact that the Iranian team has qualified to participate in the FIFA World Cup 2026,” Infantino said in a message shared on Instagram.
According to him, Trump reiterated that the Iranian team would be welcome to compete in the United States.
Infantino also emphasised the unifying role of the World Cup, describing the tournament as an event capable of bringing people together at a time of heightened global tensions.
Iran’s decision introduces a significant geopolitical dimension to the tournament, which is already unfolding against the backdrop of rising tensions in the Middle East following retaliatory actions by Iran against United States military facilities in the region after the strike that killed Khamenei.
