He noted that after the death of the country's leader, the necessary conditions for participating in the tournament are absent. "The situation in the country has worsened, and after our government committed a crime against our leader, we were left with no opportunity to participate in the World Cup. Over the past eight or nine months, we have found ourselves in conditions of two conflicts that have claimed the lives of thousands of Iranians, making our participation in the tournament impossible," the minister added.
The 2026 World Cup, which will take place from June 11 to July 19, will be a joint event hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Iran has already qualified and was placed in Group G, where it is set to play against Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand. All of Iran's matches are scheduled to take place in the USA.
It is currently unclear who could replace Iran if the team indeed withdraws from participation.
On February 28, the Israeli Ministry of Defense reported conducting a "preventive strike" against Iran, which was later joined by the USA.
Earlier, FIFA President Gianni Infantino mentioned that Donald Trump, the President of the USA, supports Iran's participation in the World Cup.
