Tehran: Iran may withdraw from the 2026 FIFA World Cup as tensions escalate in the Middle East, with the country’s Minister of Sports and Youth, Ahmad Donyamali, saying Iran is currently not in a position to participate in the tournament.
The competition, scheduled to begin on June 11 and hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico, includes three group-stage matches for Iran. The team is due to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June 15 and June 21, respectively, followed by a match against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
However, Iran’s participation has come under doubt following recent military escalation involving the United States and Israel. According to reports, strikes carried out during the conflict killed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, prompting Iran to retaliate by launching missiles and drones toward Israel and other countries hosting US military bases.
Speaking to IRIB Sports Network, Donyamali said the situation has created unsafe conditions for the national team to travel and compete. The minister also pointed to the wider impact of the ongoing conflict in the region, stating that Iran has faced two wars over the past several months, resulting in heavy casualties and making international sporting participation extremely difficult.
Despite the concerns raised by Iranian officials, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said earlier that Iran is still expected to take part in the tournament. Infantino revealed that Donald Trump had told him Iran would be welcome to compete in the United States during the summer finals.
Infantino also shared on social media that he had met Trump to discuss preparations for the tournament and the current situation involving Iran, stressing that the World Cup remains a global event aimed at bringing people together.
Meanwhile, the head of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mehdi Taj, has also expressed doubts about the country’s ability to participate. His comments came after several members of Iran’s women’s national team received humanitarian visas from Australia over safety concerns following the Asian Cup.
Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed that seven individuals were granted asylum, although one later chose to return to Iran. Taj said that if similar security issues arise around the men’s national team, sending players to the United States would not be a reasonable decision.
If Iran ultimately withdraws from what would be its fourth consecutive World Cup appearance, FIFA rules allow the governing body to select a replacement team. Possible candidates could include regional teams such as Iraq or the United Arab Emirates, although FIFA is not required to choose a replacement from the same confederation.
For now, FIFA continues to list Iran among the participating teams and is expected to wait until the final qualification play-offs conclude later this month before making any decision. Experts say it is still too early to rule out Iran’s participation entirely, as the final decision rests with the national football federation. However, if Iran ultimately refuses to travel, the move could lead to disciplinary consequences from FIFA, similar to past incidents that resulted in bans from international competitions.
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