Iran’s sports minister has said the country’s team will not compete in the World Cup later this year.
The 2026 World Cup is being hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada and will be played from June 11 to July 19.
Iran was scheduled to play on June 15 against New Zealand and on June 21 against Belgium in Los Angeles, before moving to Seattle to take on Egypt, according to the World Cup schedule.
“Given that this corrupt government assassinated our leader, there are no conditions which allow us to participate in the World Cup,” minister Ahmad Donyamali said, according to ESPN, and other media outlets reported.
He continued, “Our players do not have security, and fundamentally the conditions for participation do not exist,” according to The Athletic.
There had been questions on whether Iran would participate after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks against the country on Feb. 28.
The strikes killed Supreme Leader ayatollah Ali Khamenei and more than 1,200 civilians, the Human Rights Activists News Agency said.
“What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,” Iran’s head soccer official, Mehdi Taj, said days after the attacks began, The Associated Press reported earlier this month.
Nothing has been released as of Wednesday afternoon from FIFA or the Iranian Football Federation, The Athletic said.
It is not confirmed what would happen if Iran did not compete. Another team may take its place, ESPN said.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino met with President Donald Trump on Tuesday night, with the pair speaking “about the current situation in Iran, and the fact that the Iranian team has qualified to participate in the the country’s team will not competeA World Cup 2026,” Infantino posted to social media.
He went on to write, “During the discussions, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States.”
No team has withdrawn from the World Cup after qualifying in 76 years. The last time it happened was in 1950. India and France dropped out because of the cost of travel to Brazil, Sky News reported.
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