The Iran national football team will not participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to the country’s Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali, who cited the ongoing war involving the United States and Israel as the reason for the decision.
Donyamali made the announcement in an interview with the Deutsche Presse-Agentur, saying the current circumstances make participation impossible following recent military attacks that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and thousands of Iranian citizens.
“Considering that this corrupt regime has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup,” the minister said.
He added that the country has endured severe losses and instability in recent months, making it impossible for the national team to take part in the global tournament.
“Two wars have been forced upon us in the last eight or nine months and several thousand of our citizens have been killed. Therefore, we certainly cannot have such a presence,” Donyamali said.
The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by United States, Canada, and Mexico, with the tournament scheduled to run from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
Iran had previously secured qualification for the expanded 48-team tournament and was drawn in Group G alongside Belgium national football team, Egypt national football team, and New Zealand national football team.
All three of Iran’s group matches were scheduled to take place in the United States, including games in Los Angeles and Seattle.
The announcement comes just days after Gianni Infantino revealed that U.S. President Donald Trump had assured him that the Iranian team would be welcome to compete despite the geopolitical tensions.
However, with Iran now indicating it will not participate, uncertainty remains over whether the withdrawal will be formally confirmed to FIFA and how the governing body will respond.
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