Tehran, Mar 12 (V7N) – Iran’s national football team will not participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the country’s Sports Minister Ahmad Doniamali has announced.

According to a report by The Guardian, citing Iranian state television, the minister said the decision was taken due to the ongoing conflict and security situation in the country.

Doniamali stated, “When this corrupt regime (the United States) has killed our leader, we cannot participate in the World Cup under any circumstances. Our children are not safe, and the situation does not allow us to take part.”

The decision comes after recent air strikes carried out by the United States and Israel in Iran, which reportedly resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The incident triggered a major escalation of tensions across the Gulf region.

Doniamali added that hostile actions against Iran had already forced the country into multiple conflicts within the past year, causing heavy casualties. “Thousands of people have been killed and martyred. Therefore, our presence in the World Cup is not possible under such circumstances,” he said.

Earlier, Gianni Infantino said that Donald Trump had indicated Iran would still be welcome to participate in the World Cup despite the ongoing war. Infantino wrote on Instagram that the issue was discussed during preparations for the tournament. However, Trump later said he was not particularly concerned about whether Iran would ultimately take part.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. According to the tournament schedule, Iran had been placed in a group alongside New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt.

Meanwhile, world football’s governing body FIFA has stated that if a team withdraws within 30 days of its first match, it may face a fine of at least 250,000 Swiss francs, along with possible disciplinary measures such as exclusion from future competitions or replacement by another team.

END/SMA/AJ