Iran’s participation in the 2026 World Cup is now in serious doubt, after the nation’s sports minister stated the team will not play. Ahmad Donyamali cited the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and ongoing regional conflict as the reasons behind the decision.
Minister Rules Out Participation
Ahmad Donyamali, Iran’s sports minister, made the announcement on Wednesday, stating that the football team would not participate in the 2026 World Cup. He attributed the decision to the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the resulting instability. “Considering that this corrupt regime [the US] has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup,” the minister told state television.
Donyamali further stated, “Our children are not safe and, fundamentally, such conditions for participation do not exist.” He added that the US had “forced two wars on us over eight or nine months and have killed and martyred thousands of our people. Therefore, we certainly cannot have such a presence.”
Trump’s Stance and FIFA Regulations
The announcement comes despite comments from former US President Donald Trump, who, according to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, said Iran were “welcome” to play at the upcoming World Cup. Infantino said that during a meeting with Trump to discuss preparations for the competition, “we also spoke about the current situation in Iran”. Infantino wrote on Instagram: “During the discussions, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States.”
Last week Trump said “I really don’t care” whether Iran take part in the 48-nation tournament being co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico. Iran are scheduled to play group games against New Zealand and Belgium in Inglewood, California, and Egypt in Seattle. If the US and Iran finish second in their respective groups, they would meet on 3 July in Dallas.
FIFA’s Potential Sanctions
FIFA’s regulations outline potential penalties for teams withdrawing from the World Cup. Any team withdrawing “no later than 30 days before the first match” faces a fine of at least 250,000 Swiss francs (£239,000) by the FIFA disciplinary committee. FIFA’s regulations say that disciplinary sanctions may include the expulsion of the participating member association concerned from subsequent Fifa competitions and/or the replacement of the participating member association with another member association.
With the World Cup approaching, FIFA may need to consider replacements for Iran in the tournament should the nation’s stance remain unchanged.