The minister noted that the situation in the country following the death of the leader and recent events makes Iran's participation in the tournament impossible.
“After the corrupt government killed our leader, we do not have the conditions to participate in the World Cup. For eight or nine months, we have been imposed with two wars, resulting in the deaths of thousands of our fellow citizens. Under such conditions, we simply have no opportunity to participate,” emphasized Donyamali.
The 2026 World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19 in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. The Iranian team has already qualified and is placed in Group G, where they are set to compete against Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand. All of Iran's matches are scheduled to take place in the USA.
As of now, it has not been decided who will replace Iran if they withdraw from participation.
On February 28, the Israeli Ministry of Defense reported a "preventive strike" against Iran, which was later joined by the USA.
Earlier, Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, stated that Donald Trump welcomed the participation of the Iranian team in the World Cup.
