Iran officially withdrew from the 2026 FIFA World Cup due to war with the United States
Kyiv • UNN
Iran's Minister of Sports announced the withdrawal from the World Cup due to the death of Ali Khamenei. FIFA is looking for a replacement for the national team in Group G after Tehran's decision.
Iran's Minister of Sports, Ahmad Donyamali, announced the impossibility of the national team's participation in the upcoming world tournament, scheduled to take place this summer in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. The decision to boycott was made after a series of airstrikes on the territory of the Islamic Republic, which resulted in the death of the country's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. This was reported by Reuters, writes UNN.
Details
During a speech on state television, Donyamali called the American government a "corrupt regime" responsible for the deaths of thousands of Iranians. The minister emphasized that after the assassination of the country's leader and the beginning of the active phase of the war, the presence of an Iranian delegation at the tournament in the USA is fundamentally unacceptable.
Despite assurances from FIFA President Gianni Infantino regarding Donald Trump's readiness to host the Iranian team, official Tehran considers these steps malicious and contrary to the state's interests.
Given that this corrupt regime has killed our leader, we cannot under any circumstances participate in the World Cup. Our children are not safe, and, in fact, such conditions for participation do not exist.
Humanitarian situation and impact on the sports community
According to the Iranian Embassy to the UN, more than 1,300 civilians have died in the country since the start of the military operation on February 28. The intensification of hostilities and the oil blockade by the United States have effectively made it impossible for the national team to prepare for the competition. FIFA has not yet announced an official replacement for Iran in Group G, but international experts suggest that another Asian team may get a place in the tournament according to the qualification ranking.
Given the malicious actions they (the US - ed.) have taken against Iran, they have imposed two wars on us within eight or nine months and killed and martyred thousands of our people. Therefore, we certainly cannot allow such a presence (at the World Cup - ed.)