'Under no circumstances can we participate' - Iran to boycott World Cup over US attacks

The country's sports minister said the two wars initiated against it by Israel and the US plus the assassination of leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei means they "cannot have...a presence" this summer

PURVEYORS OF PEACE?: US President Donald Trump is presented with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize award by FIFA President Gianni Infantino has been criticised by his old boss Michel Platini, who says the Swiss has “always been a fan of rich and powerful people”. Pic: Sam Corum/PA Wire.

Iran cannot participate in the 2026 World Cup after the United States killed their leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the sports minister, Ahmad Donyamali, said on Wednesday.

The United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran nearly two weeks ago, killing the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader, leading to a region-wide conflict in the Gulf.

“Considering that this corrupt regime [the US] has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup,” the minister told state television. “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.” Donyamali’s comments came after the Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, reported that Donald Trump had said Iran were “welcome” to play at the upcoming World Cup, despite the ongoing war in the Middle East.

Infantino said that during a meeting with Trump to discuss preparations for the competition, “we also spoke about the current situation in Iran”. Infantino wrote on Instagram: “During the discussions, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States.” Iranian officials suggested recently that the country’s participation was in some doubt because of the war and last week Trump said “I really don’t care” whether Iran take part in the 48-nation tournament being co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.

Iran are scheduled to play group games against New Zealand and Belgium in Inglewood, California, and Egypt in Seattle. If the US and Iran finish second in their respective groups, they would meet on 3 July in Dallas.

Infantino has a close relationship with the US president, who in December was given Fifa’s inaugural peace prize. “We all need an event like the Fifa World Cup to bring people together now more than ever,” Infantino said, adding that he thanked Trump “for his support”.

This week Fifa’s World Cup chief operating officer, Heimo Schirgi, said the tournament was “too big” to be postponed because of global turmoil caused by the US and Israeli war against Iran. “We hope that everyone can participate that has qualified,” Schirgi said.

If the US refused to host the Iran team it could risk being removed as a World Cup host by Fifa. That is what happened to Indonesia three years ago when the country refused to welcome Israel for the men’s Under-20 World Cup eight months after the Israeli team qualified. Fifa dropped Indonesia weeks before the scheduled first game and moved that tournament to Argentina.

Agencies