Iran’s Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali has announced that the country is considering a boycott of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, citing the ongoing conflict between Iran, the United States, and Israel.
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Speaking in a televised interview with Iranian state media, Donyamali said the country sees no conditions under which it can participate in the tournament following the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which Tehran says was carried out through a joint US-Israel military action.
The killing triggered a major escalation in the Middle East conflict, with Iran retaliating by launching missiles and drones at US bases and allied targets in the region.
Iran had already secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup in March last year after finishing among the top two teams in Group A of the Asian qualifiers, but its participation has increasingly come into doubt as the conflict intensifies.
Donyamali said the decision was linked directly to what he described as hostile actions against Iran.
“Since this corrupt government assassinated our leader, we have no conditions under which we can participate in the World Cup,” he said.
“In view of the malicious measures taken against Iran, two wars were forced upon us within eight or nine months, and several thousand of our people were killed. Therefore, we definitely have no possibility of participating in this way.”
Iran was also notably absent from a FIFA planning summit for World Cup participants held in Atlanta last week, further fueling speculation that the country could withdraw from the tournament.
If Iran proceeds with the boycott, it would join a small group of countries that have previously qualified for the World Cup but later refused to participate, including Uruguay, Turkey, India, and France at different points in football history.
However, US President Donald Trump has indicated that Iran would still be welcomed at the tournament despite the conflict.
According to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Trump made the remark during a meeting in Washington on Tuesday where they discussed preparations for the World Cup, which begins on June 11, 2026.
Infantino said Trump reiterated that Iran’s national team would be allowed to compete in the United States if it chooses to participate.
“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 in a post on Instagram.
“We all need an event like the FIFA World Cup to bring people together now more than ever.”
Meanwhile, the crisis has also affected members of Iran’s women’s national football team, who were recently in Australia competing in the Asian Women’s Cup.
Seven members of the team initially remained in Australia after the tournament ended amid concerns about returning to a country at the center of a growing war.
Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed that six of the players accepted humanitarian visas allowing them to remain in Australia permanently, while a seventh player later chose to return to Iran after reconsidering her decision.
Burke said the decision was made freely after discussions with Australian officials and conversations with teammates who had already left the country.
“In Australia, people are able to change their mind, people are able to travel and so we respect the context in which she made that decision,” Burke said.
Australian authorities also revealed that players were privately offered the option of asylum during emotional meetings at Sydney Airport, where interpreters were used and players were given time to consult family members in Iran before deciding.
The situation gained global attention earlier in the tournament when Iran’s women’s team remained silent during their national anthem before their opening match, an act widely interpreted as either a protest or a moment of mourning.
The players later sang the anthem in subsequent matches but were criticised by Iranian state television, which labelled them “traitors.”
Supporters and Iranian diaspora groups in Australia attempted to block the team’s bus and later gathered at Sydney Airport, fearing the players might face punishment if they returned home.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed that the team has since travelled from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where they are currently staying in a hotel while arrangements for their onward travel are finalised.
The AFC said it will continue to prioritise the welfare and safety of the players and team officials during the uncertain period.
Iranian authorities, however, have dismissed claims that returning players will face persecution.
“Iran awaits you with open arms. Come home,” said Esmaeil Baqaei, spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry.
But the controversy has further complicated Iran’s potential participation in the 2026 World Cup.
Mehdi Taj, head of Iran’s football federation, accused Australian authorities of “kidnapping” the players and suggested the incident had deepened doubts about Iran competing in a tournament hosted partly by the United States.
“Considering the problems created for female footballers, if the outlook for the World Cup is like this, no reasonable person would agree to be sent to the U.S.,” Taj said.
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