Iran will not participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup following escalating geopolitical tensions after airstrikes carried out by the United States and Israel, according to Iranian sports minister Ahmad Donyamali.

Speaking on state television on Wednesday, Donyamali said the country could not take part in the tournament after the strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and triggered a wider regional conflict.

“Considering that this corrupt regime has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup,” the minister said.

Safety concerns cited

The expanded 48-team tournament is scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19 across three host nations — the United States, Mexico and Canada.

However, Donyamali said the current situation made participation impossible.

“Our children are not safe and, fundamentally, such conditions for participation do not exist,” he said.

“Given the malicious actions they have carried out against Iran, they have forced two wars on us over eight or nine months and have killed and martyred thousands of our people. Therefore, we certainly cannot have such a presence.”

According to Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, more than 1,300 Iranian civilians have been killed since the airstrikes began on February 28.

Group stage matches in the United States

Iran had been drawn into Group G alongside Belgium national football team, Egypt national football team and New Zealand national football team.

All three of their group matches were scheduled to take place in the United States, with two games set for Los Angeles and one in Seattle.

Iran, who dominated the Asian qualifying rounds to secure their place at the tournament in March last year, were also the only nation absent from a FIFA planning summit for participating teams held recently in Atlanta.

Neither the Iranian Football Federation nor FIFA immediately commented on the minister’s remarks.

Possible consequences of withdrawal

Under FIFA regulations, any team that withdraws from the tournament “no later than 30 days before the first match” faces a minimum fine of 250,000 Swiss francs (around $320,800).

Disciplinary sanctions could also include exclusion from future FIFA competitions or the replacement of the withdrawing team with another national association.

Iran had planned to base its team at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, meaning months of preparation and local economic plans could now be disrupted.

The situation could also affect supporters who purchased tickets for matches involving Iran, potentially pushing many onto the resale market if the team officially boycotts the tournament.

Infantino: Trump welcomes Iran

Earlier, Gianni Infantino revealed he had discussed Iran’s participation with US President Donald Trump.

According to Infantino, Trump said Iran would still be welcome to take part in the competition.

“During the discussions, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,” Infantino said.

However, a source in Tehran indicated that warm-up matches and other preparations for the World Cup had already become impossible due to the ongoing war.

Asylum cases add to tensions

The political tensions surrounding Iranian football have also extended beyond the men’s national team.

Earlier this week, Australia granted humanitarian visas to five players from the Iranian women’s national team after they sought asylum during the AFC Women’s Asian Cup.

The players reportedly feared persecution upon returning home after refusing to sing the national anthem during a match.

Authorities in Australia later assisted two additional members of the Iranian delegation in seeking asylum, though one subsequently chose to return to Iran, according to the country’s interior minister.

With tensions continuing to escalate, Iran’s participation in the 2026 World Cup now appears highly uncertain, raising major questions for FIFA and the tournament’s organisers.