Iran decides not to participate in 2026 FIFA WC
Published: 12 March 2026, 3:45:30
Iran has announced that they will not participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the country’s sports minister Ahmad Donyamali citing ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel and commemorating the late Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Speaking on Iranian state television, Donyamali said the Israeli-US war on Iran current situation makes participation impossible.
The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to be held across the United States, Canada and Mexico in June and July.
Iran were set to play New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June 15 and June 21 respectively, before facing Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
However, Donyamali said there was “no possibility” of Iran participating in the tournament under the current circumstances.
“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.
The statement comes shortly after FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he had received assurances from US President Donald Trump that Iran would be welcome to take part in the tournament.
In a statement posted on Instagram, Infantino said the two had discussed the situation in Iran and the country’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
“During the discussions, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,” Infantino said.
He added that events like World Cup are important in bringing people together, thanking the US president for his support and emphasizing that “football unites the world.”
