Due to the ongoing war between Iran, Israel and the United States, questions arose as to whether the FIFA World Cup will be postponed. FIFA Chief Operating Officer Heimo Schirgi clarified that the event will take place as planned and that it is “too big” to be delayed. Now Iran’s sports minister, Ahmad Donyamali, has announced that the national team will not participate in the 2026 World Cup. His statement came following the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by American forces, an event that has exacerbated the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The position of Iran
Speaking on state television, Donyamali said, “Given that this corrupt administration (the United States) has killed our leader, we cannot participate in the World Cup under any circumstances.” He added that Iranian players are not safe and that the conditions for participation are not there. “In the last eight or nine months, two wars have been imposed on us and several thousands of our people have been killed and martyred. Therefore, we are certainly not likely to participate,” he said.
Iran was the first team to qualify for the tournament, which will run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico. All of Iran’s group stage fixtures were scheduled to take place in American cities, including matches against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt.
FIFA’s response
FIFA President Gianni Infantino recently met with US President Donald Trump to discuss preparations for the tournament. Infantino said Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is welcome to compete. “We all need an event like the FIFA World Cup to bring people together now more than ever,” Infantino wrote, emphasizing soccer’s role in unity.
Despite the minister’s remarks, FIFA has not yet removed Iran from the tournament. The Iranian Football Federation also expressed doubts earlier, but was reluctant to confirm the boycott.
Possible Side Effects
If Iran pulls out, FIFA rules allow the governing body to choose a replacement team. Possible candidates could include other members of the Asian Football Confederation, such as Iraq or the UAE, although FIFA rules do not require transfers from the same region.
Iran previously faced similar situations. In the 1980s, the team refused to play in Kuwait during the qualifiers, which led to its ban from the 1986 World Cup. Experts say it is still too early to eliminate Iran completely, but the situation remains tense as the conflict continues.
