The United States will co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Canada and Mexico. (Image credit: X) NEW DELHI: Iran’s Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali said on Wednesday that the country cannot participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup after the United States killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to an Al Jazeera report citing Reuters.“Since this corrupt (US) regime has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup,” Ahmad Donyamali told state television on Wednesday, according to a report.
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The latest round of conflict between Israel and the United States on one side and Iran on the other began on February 28. Conflict in West Asia has also disrupted global energy supply chains.Ahmad Donyamali said that the conditions required to participate in the FIFA World Cup do not exist.“Our children are not safe and there are basically no such conditions for participation. Due to the insidious actions they have taken against Iran, they have forced two wars on us within eight or nine months and killed and tortured thousands of our people. That is why we absolutely cannot have such a presence,” Donyamali said, according to an Al Jazeera report citing Reuters.The United States will co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Canada and Mexico. The tournament will feature 104 matches, starting at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11 and culminating in the finals at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19.All of Iran’s group stage matches are scheduled to be played in American cities, including Los Angeles and Seattle.Donyamali’s words came after Gianni Infantino, FIFA president, said on Instagram on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump would welcome Iran’s participation in the World Cup.“President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is of course welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,” Gianni Infantino said in a post on social media.Earlier, Mehdi Taj, president of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI), also questioned Iran’s participation in the tournament after the recent attacks, saying it would be difficult for the country to approach the competition with optimism.“After this attack (on Iran), we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope. If the World Cup is going to be like this, who in their right mind would send their national team to a place like this?” Taj said on Iranian state television.
