Iran Rejects Trump’s World Cup Assurance, Withdraws From 2026 Tournament
- Iran has officially confirmed it will not participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, starting in June
- The Arab nation cited the US-Israeli war in the Middle East as the primary reason for withdrawal
- All of Iran’s scheduled group-stage matches were set to take place in US cities
Iran has officially confirmed its withdrawal from the 2026 FIFA World Cup following escalating conflict in the Middle East.
The announcement came from Iran’s Sports Minister, Ahmad Donyamali, amid rising tensions after the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, by the United States.
Source: Getty Images
Iran had already qualified for the tournament and was drawn in Group G alongside Belgium, New Zealand, and Egypt.
Conflict forces Iran out of World Cup
The ongoing war between the US, Israel, and Iran, which began on February 28, has claimed over 1,200 lives and left more than 12,000 injured within the first 12 days of conflict.
Iran responded with multiple missile and drone attacks on Israeli targets and US military installations in the Middle East.
According to Al Jazeera, Iran’s Sports Minister Donyamali stated they cannot guarantee the safety of their players playing under the corrupt regime of that assassinated their Supreme Leader.
“Considering that this corrupt regime has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup. Our children are not safe, and fundamentally, such conditions for participation do not exist.”
The sports minister also cited “malicious actions” against Iran, describing two wars within the last nine months that have caused thousands of deaths.
Iran’s withdrawal from the World Cup leaves FIFA scrambling to confirm the status of Group G fixtures, which were all scheduled to take place in Los Angeles and Seattle, including the nation’s opening match against New Zealand on June 16 in Inglewood, California.
FIFA welcomes Iran despite withdrawal
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has repeatedly emphasised that Iran’s participation at the 2026 World Cup would be welcomed despite the current crisis in the Middle East.
Source: Getty Images
In a recent meeting with US President Donald Trump, Infantino confirmed that the Iranian team is “of course welcome to compete” in the tournament, Sport Bible reports.
The 2026 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada, is set to kick off on June 11 with Mexico taking on South Africa in the opening fixture.
While FIFA maintains that it hopes for Iran’s inclusion, the volatile situation in the Middle East has made participation logistically and politically impossible for the Arab nation.
The absence of Iran is a significant blow to the tournament, particularly for Group G, where fans were looking forward to seeing the team compete on American soil.
The global football community now watches closely to see if any contingency plans will be implemented to fill the void left by Iran’s withdrawal.
Countries set to take Iran’s World Cup spot
In a related development, Legit.ng reported that if Iran withdraws, their replacement is expected to be the highest-ranked Asian nation not yet qualified, which would likely be Iraq or, failing that, the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE narrowly missed qualification after losing a playoff against Iraq, who then advanced to the intercontinental playoff against either Bolivia or Suriname on 31 March in Monterrey.
Source: Legit.ng
