TEHRAN (Kashmir English): Iran’s Sports Minister has announced that Iran will not participate in the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the United States, after the assassination of the Supreme Leader.
According to media reports, Iranian Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali said that Iran couldn’t participate in this global event after the attacks by the United States and Israel and the ongoing war situation in the region.
A large number of citizens, including Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, were targeted in these attacks.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be played in the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19 this year.
Iran qualified for the World Cup by showing excellent performance in the Asian qualifying round and was placed in Group G with Belgium, New Zealand, and Egypt.
According to reports, if Iran officially withdraws from the tournament, FIFA may have to add another team in its place.
Which team will replace Iran if it boycotts this year’s FIFA World Cup?
FIFA, the world football governing body, is also cautious regarding the possibility of Iran pulling out of the mega event.
“We had a meeting… and it is premature to comment in detail, but we will monitor developments around all issues around the world,” FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom said.
Almost 100 days are left to the tournament’s opening game, and the situation in Iran could become acutely uncomfortable for FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who has been keen to show that he has a close relationship with US President Donald Trump.
All the more so as some Gulf nations that are due to take part in this year’s event have been drawn into the war, with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Jordan all being targeted by retaliatory strikes.
FIFA’s regulations do not provide for the possibility of a boycott of the World Cup by a qualified team. A source close to world football’s governing body said “specific decisions” would have to be taken to replace Iran with another team if necessary.
Article 6 of the regulations for the 2026 World Cup says that “if a participating member association withdraws…as a result of force majeure,” FIFA “shall decide on the matter at its sole discretion and take whatever action is deemed necessary.”
If a team withdraws or is excluded from the competition, FIFA therefore has the freedom to take whatever decision it sees fit and “may decide to replace the participating member association in question with another association.”
If Iran boycotts the competition, it would open the way for another Asian team to take their place.
At the moment, eight Asian teams have qualified for the first World Cup to feature 48 teams in total. There could yet be a ninth Asian team, if Iraq wins an intercontinental play-off against either Bolivia or Suriname, scheduled to be played on March 31 in Monterrey, Mexico.
