Iran has officially withdrawn from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, citing escalating war tensions and deteriorating diplomatic relations with the United States. Uptown Press can report.
The announcement was confirmed on Wednesday by the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran after days of speculation over the country’s absence from a key planning summit for participating nations held in Atlanta.
Iran’s Minister of Sports, Ahmad Donyamali, said the current security climate makes participation impossible.
“Considering that this corrupt government has killed our leader, there are no conditions that would allow us to participate in the World Cup,” Donyamali said in an interview with the German news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur.
He added that the country has endured two wars in the last nine months, leaving thousands of citizens dead and making international sporting participation unrealistic.
“Two wars have been forced upon us in the last eight or nine months and several thousand of our citizens have been killed. Therefore, there is no possibility for us to participate under these circumstances,” he said.
The decision means Iran will miss the expanded 48-team tournament jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico between June 11 and July 19, 2026.
Iran had already secured qualification after topping Group A in the final round of Asian qualifiers, marking what would have been their fourth consecutive World Cup appearance.
Before the withdrawal, the team had been drawn in Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand. Their fixtures were scheduled to be played in the United States, including two matches in Los Angeles and one in Seattle.
The geopolitical tension surrounding Iran’s participation had intensified in recent weeks following military confrontations involving the U.S. and Israel.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump had earlier downplayed the controversy, saying he was not worried about Iran’s involvement, describing the country as a “very badly defeated nation.”
Meanwhile, Gianni Infantino had previously insisted that Iran would be welcomed at the tournament, stressing that global football events should unite nations during periods of crisis.
“We all need an event like the FIFA World Cup to bring people together now more than ever,” Infantino said.
Iran’s absence now creates a major gap in Group G and is expected to force FIFA to determine a replacement team ahead of the tournament kickoff next summer.