Iran will not participate in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to the country’s Sports Minister Ahmad Doyanmali.
With less than 93 days to the start of the tournament, Doyanmali said the ongoing military conflict involving United States and Israel has made it impossible for the Iranian national team to take part in the global competition.
The latest escalation began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel reportedly launched a large-scale offensive targeting Iran’s military infrastructure.
The attacks included what has been described as a “decapitation strike” in Tehran that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Since then, U.S. military operations under Operation Epic Fury have reportedly involved more than 5,500 strikes, targeting Iran’s missile production facilities, naval assets and nuclear infrastructure.
Speaking to Deutsche Presse-Agentur, as reported by MARCA, Doyanmali said the current conditions make participation in the tournament impossible.
“Considering that this corrupt government has killed our leader, there are no conditions that would allow us to participate in the World Cup,” he said.
He added that the country has endured multiple conflicts in recent months, resulting in significant casualties.
“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.”
Doyanmali also suggested that the international response would have been different if the tournament was being hosted by another nation.
“If the host were another country, the international community would have already reacted and stripped it of its hosting rights,” he said.
Under Article 6 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup regulations , if a qualified team withdraws or is excluded from the tournament, the governing body has the authority to select a replacement.
“If a participating federation withdraws or is excluded from the World Cup, FIFA will decide at its sole discretion and take the measures it deems necessary. FIFA may notably decide to replace that federation with another,” the regulations state.
Iran had been drawn in Group G of the tournament alongside Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand.
Should Iran formally confirm its withdrawal, FIFA is expected to determine which nation could replace them in the group as preparations for the tournament intensify.
