Iran Withdraws From 2026 FIFA World Cup

Iran cannot participate in the FIFA World Cup after the United States killed its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ‌says the country’s sports minister Ahmad Donyamali.

“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 on Wednesday.

The US will co-host the World Cup with Canada and Mexico, but all of Iran’s group-stage fixtures are allocated to American cities, including Los Angeles and Seattle.

The US and Israeli war on Iran, which began on February 28, has killed 1,255 people and wounded more than 12,000.

It is the first time an official from the Iranian government has spoken on the country’s participation in the global tournament since the US and Israel launched their attacks on the nation on February 28.

The head of the Iranian Football Federation cast doubt on his team’s participation last week, but did not say the team would boycott the tournament.

Earlier, FIFA President Gianni Infantino ‌said Iran’s participation in the World Cup would be welcomed by US President Donald Trump, with whom he met and discussed the upcoming tournament amid the ongoing war in the Middle East.

Iran was the first country to secure qualification for the World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19.