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Iran has announced that it will not participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup following escalating political and security tensions.
Iran’s Minister of Sports, Ahmad Donyamali, confirmed the decision in an interview with the German news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur.
According to him, the current situation facing the country makes participation in the tournament impossible.
“Considering that this corrupt government has killed our leader, there are no conditions that would allow us to participate in the World Cup,” he said.
The minister also stated that the country has endured multiple conflicts in recent months, which have resulted in significant casualties.
“Two wars have been forced upon us in the last eight or nine months and several thousand of our citizens have been killed. Therefore, there is no possibility for us to participate under these circumstances,” he added.
Iran had been drawn in Group G of the tournament alongside Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand.
Under regulations of FIFA, if a participating federation withdraws or is excluded from the World Cup, the governing body has the authority to determine the appropriate replacement.
FIFA rules state that the organization may decide to replace the withdrawing federation with another team at its discretion.
The decision by Iran could therefore open the door for another national team to take its place in the tournament if the withdrawal is officially confirmed.
