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Iran's sports minister says country won't participate in World Cup, throwing LA matches in limbo
Iran is illuminated on the screen during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
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Kevin Dietsch
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Getty Images
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Iran's sports minister said Wednesday that the team will not compete in the World Cup, citing the U.S. war on Iran, the Associated Press and other news outlets reported.
Iran is scheduled to play two matches in Los Angeles in June against New Zealand and Belgium.
Iran's participation in the global tournament has been in question since the U.S. and Israel launched a bombing campaign against the country in late February.
On Wednesday, the country's sports minister, Ahmad Donyamali, told state television that the country's team would not participate in the tournament in the U.S. “considering this corrupt regime has assassinated our leader,” according to the New York Times. A joint U.S.-Israeli attack killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the first day of the war.
The remarks came after FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Tuesday that he had met with President Donald Trump and that Iran continued to be welcome to attend the World Cup.
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"We also spoke about the current situation in Iran, and the fact that the Iranian team has qualified to participate in the FIFA World Cup 2026," Infantino said in an Instagram post. "During the discussions, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States."
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Infantino has faced heavy criticism for awarding Trump the first-ever "FIFA Peace Prize" last year.
A FIFA spokesperson told LAist that Iran has not formally pulled out of the tournament. The local host committee for Los Angeles declined to comment, directing LAist to FIFA.
According to FIFA's regulations, any participating team that withdraws from the World Cup will be required to repay FIFA "preparation money as well as any other tournament‑related contribution payments."
The regulations also say FIFA has sole discretion to determine next steps if a team pulls out, including replacing the team.
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