Nigeria TV Info 

Iran Won’t Play at the 2026 World Cup — Sports Minister Rules Out Participation

Iran’s sports minister, Ahmad Donyamali, has announced that the country’s national football team will not take part in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup. The decision, made on state television on March 11, 2026, comes amid escalating conflict between Iran, the United States, and Israel.

Donyamali said Iran could not participate “under no circumstances” in the tournament co‑hosted by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada because of the current war and the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who Iranian authorities say was killed in U.S. and Israeli strikes. He emphasised that Iranian players are not safe and that the conditions for participation simply do not exist given the ongoing conflict.

Iran, which had already qualified and was drawn into Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand, was scheduled to play all its group‑stage matches on U.S. soil — in Los Angeles and Seattle. Their absence would leave FIFA with the challenge of selecting a replacement team, with nations like Iraq or the United Arab Emirates among the likely candidates based on their qualifying performance.

FIFA officials and U.S. leaders, including FIFA President Gianni Infantino and  U.S. President Donald Trump, had previously said Iran was welcome to compete, but Tehran’s stance reflects deep political and security concerns.