Ahmad Donyamali says Iran cannot take part in 2026 World Cup | OneFootball

Iran’s place at the 2026 World Cup has been cast into doubt after sports minister Ahmad Donyamali said the country cannot take part because of the ongoing war.

According to L'Équipe, Donyamali told Iranian television that current conditions do not allow the national team to travel to the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

He linked his stance to the death of Ali Khamenei in airstrikes carried out by the United States and Israel, described the United States as a corrupt regime, and said Iran could not under any circumstances attend. He added that two wars had been imposed in eight or nine months, causing several thousand deaths, leaving no possibility to participate.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in an Instagram post that United States president Donald Trump had confirmed the Iranian team remained welcome to play its matches in the United States.

Iran have qualified for the finals and are due to compete in a group with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand.

Source: L'Équipe