Iran’s flag is displayed on a display in the course of the draw for the 2026 FIFA Soccer World Cup happening within the U.S., Canada and Mexico, on the Kennedy Heart, in Washington, D.C., on December 5, 2025. Iran’s sports activities minister says the group now will not play on this summer time’s event due to the U.S. assaults on Iran.
Roberto Schmidt/AFP by way of Getty Pictures
disguise caption
toggle caption
Roberto Schmidt/AFP by way of Getty Pictures
Iran can’t take part on this summer time’s FIFA World Cup event, which is being co-hosted by the USA, the Iranian sports activities minister stated Wednesday.
“Provided that this corrupt authorities has assassinated our chief and created excessive insecurity, we can’t take part within the World Cup,” stated Ahmad Donyamali in remarks broadcast on Iranian state tv. “The gamers don’t have any security, and the circumstances for participation merely do not exist.”
The navy marketing campaign waged by the U.S., together with its ally Israel, started in late February. An Israeli strike on Feb. 28, partly enabled by American intelligence, killed the nation’s Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and different high-ranking officers. At the least 1,300 Iranian civilians have been killed, in line with Amir Saeid Iravani, the nation’s ambassador to the United Nations.
The new marketing campaign follows final yr’s 12-day battle between Israel and Iran. That led to the deaths of greater than 1,000 Iranians, in line with the Iranian authorities.
“In simply eight or 9 months, they’ve dragged us into two wars, killed 1000’s of our individuals, and dedicated grave atrocities,” Donyamali stated. “Below these circumstances, attending the event is inconceivable.”
The World Cup is ready to run from June 11 via July 19, with the U.S. as one among three co-hosts for the event alongside Canada and Mexico. Most video games will happen within the U.S., together with all three of Iran’s group stage matches, that are scheduled to happen in Los Angeles and Seattle.
It was not instantly clear whether or not Iran had formally withdrawn from the event. FIFA and the Iranian Soccer Federation didn’t instantly reply to NPR’s inquiries.
After FIFA president Gianni Infantino met with President Trump on Tuesday, Infantino stated in an announcement that Trump had “reiterated that the Iranian group is, in fact, welcome to compete within the event in the USA.”
A group withdrawing from the World Cup so quickly earlier than it begins is with out precedent within the trendy period.
Below FIFA rules, a group that withdraws from a event may face a effective of lots of of 1000’s of {dollars} and a possible ban from future competitors.
FIFA would have broad discretion to exchange Iran within the event with one other group, reminiscent of an alternate from the Asian Soccer Confederation, like Iraq or the United Arab Emirates.
