The Minister of Sports of Iran criticized the U.S. government
The Iranian national football team officially announced its decision not to participate in the World Cup, which will take place this year in several countries, including the U.S. This was made known in a statement by Iran's Minister of Sports Ahmad Donyamali, as quoted by Reuters.
Donyamali expressed dissatisfaction with the actions of the U.S., stating: "This corrupt regime killed our leader [Ali Khamenei], and we cannot participate in the World Cup under any circumstances. Their aggressive actions against Iran, including two wars in the last eight or nine months, have claimed the lives of thousands of Iranians, and therefore we cannot allow ourselves to participate in this event."
It is still unclear whether Iran has completed all the necessary formalities for an official withdrawal from the tournament. FIFA has not yet commented on the minister's statement.
The World Cup is scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Iran is in a group where its opponents will be Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand, with all three group matches set to take place in the U.S.—two in Los Angeles and one in Seattle.
Last week, a FIFA summit was held in Atlanta to prepare for the World Cup, where Iran was the only participating country not present at the meeting.
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