- Donyamali stated that the security situation following recent attacks on the country makes participation impossible for now
- Donyamali said the situation makes it impossible for the team to safely travel or compete.
- Gianni Infantino said earlier that Donald Trump had indicated Iran would still be welcome to participate in the competition
Iran’s participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is uncertain after the country’s Sports and Youth Minister said the national team is currently unable to take part in the tournament.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that Ahmad Donyamali stated that the security situation following recent attacks on the country makes participation impossible for now.
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The tournament, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is scheduled to begin on June 11.
Iran’s national team had been drawn to play New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June 15 and June 21, before facing Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
However, tensions escalated after military strikes by the United States and Israel reportedly killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. Iran later responded with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and locations believed to host U.S. military facilities.
Speaking to the IRIB Sports Network, Donyamali said the situation makes it impossible for the team to safely travel or compete.
He also pointed to the broader impact of the conflict, saying the country has endured months of warfare that have caused thousands of casualties.
Meanwhile, Gianni Infantino said earlier that Donald Trump had indicated Iran would still be welcome to participate in the competition.
Infantino said he discussed the situation with Trump while reviewing preparations for the global tournament, adding that the World Cup has the potential to unite people during difficult times.
Concerns have also been raised by Mehdi Taj, who questioned whether it would be reasonable to send the team to the United States under the current circumstances.
His comments came after several members of Iran’s women’s national football team received humanitarian visas from Australia due to safety concerns.
If Iran ultimately withdraws from the tournament, which would have been their fourth straight World Cup appearance , FIFA would decide which nation replaces them.
Possible candidates could include teams from the Asian Football Confederation such as Iraq or the United Arab Emirates, although FIFA rules do not require the replacement team to come from the same confederation.
For now, analysts say it may be too early to conclude that Iran will miss the tournament, as the final decision ultimately rests with the Iranian football federation rather than the government.
FIFA is expected to wait until qualification play-offs are completed and the regional conflict becomes clearer before making any determination.
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