Iran will not participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup following deadly airstrikes by the United States and Israel, which killed the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali announced on Wednesday.
The attacks, which began nearly two weeks ago, have escalated tensions across the Gulf region and resulted in the deaths of over 1,300 Iranian civilians, according to Iran’s U.N. ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani. Donyamali said on state television that under these circumstances, “Our children are not safe, and fundamentally, such conditions for participation do not exist.” He criticized the U.S. and Israel for instigating two conflicts over the past nine months and causing widespread loss of life.
Iran, which secured its World Cup spot by dominating the Asian qualifiers, had been drawn in Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand, with all matches scheduled in U.S. cities Los Angeles and Seattle. The Iranian team was also absent from FIFA’s recent World Cup planning summit in Atlanta.
FIFA regulations state that teams withdrawing less than 30 days before the tournament face fines and possible expulsion from future competitions. While FIFA President Gianni Infantino said U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Iran’s participation, Tehran confirmed that the ongoing conflict makes attendance and warm-up matches impossible.
The 2026 World Cup is set to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
