Iran cannot participate in World Cup, sports minister says

Iran cannot participate in the 2026 World Cup after co-host the United States launched airstrikes against the country alongside Israel, killing its leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sports minister Ahmad Donyamali said on Wednesday (Mar 11).

The United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran nearly two weeks ago, killing the Islamic Republic's supreme leader, leading to a region-wide conflict in the Gulf.

"Considering that this corrupt regime has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup," the minister told state television.

The 48-team World Cup will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada from Jun 11 to Jul 19.

"Our children are not safe and, fundamentally, such conditions for participation do not exist," Donyamali 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."

More than 1,300 Iranian civilians have been killed since the US and Israeli airstrikes began on Feb 28, according to Iran's UN ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani.

In the draw last December, the Iranians were grouped with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand. All three of their Group G matches were scheduled to take place in the US, two in Los Angeles and one in Seattle.

Iran, which dominated the Asian qualifying rounds to qualify for the tournament in March last year, was the only nation missing from a FIFA planning summit for World Cup participants held last week in Atlanta.

Reuters has contacted the Iranian Football Federation for comment, while there was no immediate comment from FIFA on a replacement if Iran followed through with a