Iran cannot participate in the FIFA World Cup, sports minister says
March 12, 2026 06:49 am
Iran are not in a position to participate in the 2026 World Cup, says the country’s Minister of Sports and Youth Ahmad Donyamali.
The team are scheduled to play three group matches in the tournament, which is being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico and gets under way on 11 June.
Iran are due to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on 15 and 21 June respectively, and Egypt in Seattle on 26 June.
But their participation has been in doubt since the US and Israel launched strikes on the country, killing supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones towards Israel and other nations which host US military bases.
Earlier on Wednesday, Fifa president Gianni Infantino said US President Donald Trump had told him Iran are “welcome to compete” at this summer’s finals.
But in an interview with the IRIB Sports Network on Tuesday, Donyamali said: “Given that this corrupt government has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances do we have the appropriate conditions to participate in the World Cup.
“Our boys are not safe, and conditions for participation do not exist.”
He added that “over the past eight or nine months, two wars have been imposed on us and several thousand of our people have been killed and martyred. Therefore, we definitely do not have the possibility for participation.”
- Agencies
