Iran won't participate in 2026 FIFA World Cup after US attacks: 'They forced two wars on us'

TEHRAN, IRAN: Iran has pulled out of the 2026 World Cup after US and Israeli strikes killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s sports minister said.

Iran was in Group G with Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand, but the government says it will not play because of safety concerns and the ongoing conflict.

Iran sports minister explains World Cup withdrawal

Iran’s sports minister, Ahmad Donyamali, said on Wednesday, March 11, that the country cannot take part in the 2026 World Cup.

“Considering that this corrupt regime has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup,” he said.

“Our children are not safe and, ⁠fundamentally, such conditions for participation do not exist. Given the malicious actions they have carried out against Iran, they have forced two wars on us over eight or nine months and have killed and martyred thousands of our people. Therefore, we certainly cannot have such a presence."

Since US and Israeli airstrikes began on February 28, more than 1,300 Iranian civilians have reportedly been killed, according to Iran’s UN ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani.

Iran had qualified as one of 48 teams for the tournament, which is held every four years. The team was scheduled to play all three group games in the US against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles County, which has the largest Iranian community outside the Middle East, and against Egypt on June 26 at Lumen Field in Seattle.

It is not yet clear if Iran has officially withdrawn its men’s soccer team from the tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 19, with the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

The head of Iran’s soccer federation had already raised doubts about participation.

Possible FIFA penalties if Iran skips World Cup

FIFA rules state that any country that withdraws from the World Cup “no later than 30 days before the first match” could face a fine of at least $320,800.

With the tournament still 92 days away, that deadline is not imminent. FIFA regulations also warn that disciplinary measures could include expelling the national association from future FIFA competitions or replacing the team with another country.

"Disciplinary sanctions ⁠may include the expulsion of the participating member association concerned from subsequent FIFA competitions and/or the replacement of the participating member association with another member association," FIFA's regulations report.

Trump says Iran welcome at 2026 World Cup

President Donald Trump told FIFA officials on Tuesday, March 10, that Iran is welcome to play in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, CBS News reported.

The ongoing war, now in its 12th day, was part of the discussion in a meeting in the Oval Office with FIFA President Gianni Infantino and White House FIFA task force executive director Andrew Giuliani.

The statement from Iran’s sports minister came after Infantino met with Trump.

“This evening, I met with the President of the United States, Donald J Trump to discuss the status of preparations for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, and the growing excitement as we are set to kick off in just 93 days,” Infantino said.

The POTUS added, “We also spoke about the current situation in Iran, and the fact that the Iranian team has qualified to participate in the FIFA World Cup 2026. During the discussions, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States."

He concluded, "We all need an event like the FIFA World Cup to bring people together now more than ever, and I sincerely thank the President of the United States for his support, as it shows once again that Football Unites the World."