HIBAPRESS
Iranian Sports Minister Ahmad Diniamali said on Wednesday that his country's national team will not participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico this year.
Ahmad Diniamali told Iranian state television on Wednesday: "Given the killing of our leader, we cannot, under any circumstances, participate in the World Cup." He added: "Our children are not safe, and the basics needed to participate are not available." He continued: "Given the measures they have taken against Iran, they have imposed two wars on us in eight or nine months. Therefore, we certainly cannot be present in such circumstances." The Iranian announcement came after US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Iran was welcome to participate in the tournament, during a meeting between Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. After the meeting, Infantino said: "I met this evening with the President of the United States to discuss the ongoing preparations for the upcoming World Cup, and we also talked about the current situation in Iran and the fact that the Iranian team qualified to participate in the World Cup, and during the discussions Trump confirmed that the Iranian team is welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States." Iran was scheduled to play in Group G against Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand on the US West Coast, which is inhabited by about a million Iranian Americans. No country has ever withdrawn its participation in the World Cup after qualifying in 76 years, and the last time was in 1950 when India and France withdrew due to the cost of travel to Brazil, according to Sky Sports.
