Iran has announced it will boycott the 2026 FIFA World Cup scheduled to be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The announcement was made by Iran’s Minister of Sports, Ahmad Donyamali, who said the decision followed the death of the country’s former Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
According to Donyamali, Iran cannot participate in a tournament hosted by a country it accuses of being responsible for the leader’s killing.
“Considering that this corrupt regime has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we take part in the World Cup,” the minister said.
The world football governing body, FIFA, has not yet issued an official response to the announcement.
Earlier, FIFA President Gianni Infantino revealed that he had held talks with Donald Trump regarding preparations for the tournament and the participation of Iran’s national team.
Infantino said the US president assured him that the Iranian team would be welcome and safe if it travelled to compete in the United States, with some matches expected to take place in Los Angeles.
He added that global sporting events like the World Cup remain an important platform for unity, stressing that football has the power to bring nations together during times of global tension.
