Iran to skip FIFA World Cup

The Iranian national football team will skip the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Iranian Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali said on Thursday.

"Given the fact that their government [the United States] assassinated our supreme leader, we will not participate in the World Championship under the existing circumstances," Donyamali said.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States between June 11 and July 19. The matches will be staged in 16 cities across the three countries. This will be the first FIFA World Cup featuring 48 teams instead of the previous 32-team format.

The Iranian football team qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and following the Draw was placed in Group G alongside the teams from Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand. Iran was scheduled to play all of its three group stage matches in the U.S.