Iran is not expected to participate in FIFA World Cup 2026, despite Gianni Infantino saying that they are welcome to participate and play their matches in the United States (Seattle and Los Angeles) next June, having talked with Donald Trump about the situation.
On Wednesday, hours after Infantino's announcement that they welcome the Iranian team, the Minister of Sport and Youth in Iran, Ahmad Donyamali, has said in a statement that there are no conditions under they can participate in the competition, hosted by United States, Mexico, and Canada in June-July 2026.
"Given that this corrupt government has murdered our leader, there are no conditions under which we can participate in the World Cup. Two wars have been imposed on us in eight or nine months and several thousand of our citizens have been killed. Therefore, we have no chance of participating in this way."
Iran faces sanctions by FIFA for withdrawing from the tournament.
While no withdrawal submission has been sent to FIFA at the moment, if Iran withdraws from the tournament they could be exposed to a big sanction by FIFA, The Guardian reports. The fine could range between €275,000 (£238,000) and €555,000, depending on the date of the withdrawal, as well as other sporting sanctions if FIFA's disciplinary committee decides to. They would also need to reimburse all funds received from FIFA for their preparation, as well as competition-related contributions.
That would be a hard blow for the Iranian football federation. The team has played six times in World Cup, including the last three (2014, 2018 and 2022). They were scheduled to play against New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt, and could have even faced United States if they qualified for the knockout stages as group runner-ups, although Iran has never gone beyond the group stage, having only won three World Cup matches in history, scoring 13 goals and receiving 31.