FIFA 2026: According to a report by Al Jazeera, quoting Reuters, Iran’s Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali said on Wednesday that his country cannot participate in the FIFA 2026 World Cup following the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei by the US.
According to the report, Ahmad Donyamali told state television on Wednesday, “Given that this corrupt government [of the US] has assassinated our leader, we cannot participate in the World Cup under any circumstances.”
A new round of fighting between Israel and the US on one side and Iran on the other began on February 28. The West Asia conflict has also disrupted global energy supply chains.
Ahmad Donyamali said that the necessary conditions for participating in the FIFA World Cup are not in place. “Our children are not safe, and in fact, the necessary conditions for participation are lacking.
Given the wrongs they have committed against Iran, they have imposed two wars on us in eight or nine months, killing and martyring thousands of our people. Therefore, we certainly cannot have such a presence,” Donyamali said, as reported by Al Jazeera, citing Reuters.
The United States will co-host the FIFA 2026 World Cup with Canada and Mexico.
The tournament will consist of 104 matches, beginning on June 11 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City and concluding at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with the final on July 19. All of Iran’s group-stage matches are scheduled to be played in American cities, including Los Angeles and Seattle.
Donyamali’s comments came after FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in an Instagram post on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump would welcome Iran’s participation in the World Cup. “President Donald Trump emphasised that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to participate in the tournament in the United States,” Gianni Infantino stated in a post on social media.
Earlier, Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) President Mehdi Taj also questioned Iran’s participation in the tournament following the recent attacks, saying it would be difficult for the country to look forward to the tournament with anticipation.
Mehdi Taj said on Iranian state television, “After this attack on Iran, it is unreasonable to expect us to look forward to the World Cup with enthusiasm. If the FIFA 2026 World Cup is to be conducted in this manner, who in their right mind would send their national team to such a location?”
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