Iran Sports Minister, Ahmad Donyamali, says the country will boycott the upcoming FIFA 2026 World Cup to be co-hosted by United States, Mexico and Canada.
Donyamali revealed this in a television interview with state media, because of the ongoing conflict with US and Israel.
Conflict broke out following the assassination of the Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, by a joint US-Israel military action.
Iran, who retaliated with bombing of US bases in the middle east, has been rumoured to be considering their potential participation in a world cup tournament it qualified for last year March following a top two finish in Group A of Asian qualifiers.
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Despite words of assurance from FIFA on the World Cup earlier this week, Iran was also absent at the FIFA planning summit for World Cup participants held last week in Atlanta, and Donyamali has thrown out the possibility of the country’s participation at the Mundial.
“Since this corrupt government assassinated our leader,” Donyamali started, “we have no conditions under which we can participate in the World Cup. In view of the malicious measures taken against Iran, two wars were forced upon us within eight or nine months, and several thousand of our people were killed.
“Therefore, we definitely have no possibility of participating in this way.”
If Iran follows through the threat, it will join countries that have boycotted the World Cup in the past despite qualification, including Uruguay, Turkey, India, and France.
Meanwhile, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in the early hours of Wednesday morning that he had spoken with United States President Donald Trump and received assurances that Iran would be welcome at the World Cup this summer.
In an Instagram post published from Infantino’s account shortly after midnight ET, the FIFA president said he had met with Trump to “discuss the status of preparations and the growing excitement” ahead of the tournament, which begins in June. The White House on Wednesday morning confirming the meeting.
Daily Trust
