Iran Withdraws from 2026 World Cup Amid Conflict with US

Iran has announced it will not participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup due to the ongoing conflict with the United States.

The decision was confirmed on Wednesday by Ahmad Donyamali, Iran’s sports minister, during a state television appearance. He said the withdrawal was based on security concerns following the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.

Donyamali stated that under the current circumstances, the safety of Iranian citizens could not be guaranteed, making participation in the tournament impossible.

The 48-team World Cup is scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Iran had qualified for the tournament after finishing among the top two teams in Group A of the Asian qualifiers and was drawn in Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand.