Iran's football federation doubts World Cup participation after US-Israeli strikes
Iran's soccer federation president says the country cannot "look forward to the World Cup with hope" following military bombardment that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
3 hrs ago
Mehdi Taj, president of Iran's football federation, said Sunday that he does not see the country participating in the 2026 World Cup with hope following US and Israeli military strikes on Iran that began Saturday.
"What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope," Taj told sports portal Varzesh3. "The regime of the United States has attacked our homeland, and this is an incident that will not go unanswered."
The strikes killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and prompted retaliatory Iranian attacks on US and Israeli targets in the region. Iran has traded strikes with Israel as part of an escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Iran qualified for the 2026 World Cup in November and is scheduled to compete in Group G alongside Belgium, New Zealand, and Egypt. The team is set to play matches in Los Angeles against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21, then face Egypt in Seattle on June 26. The tournament runs from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Taj said the decision on Iran's participation would be made by sports officials rather than by him alone. "With what happened today and with that attack by the United States, it is unlikely that we can look forward to the World Cup, but the sports chiefs are the ones who must decide on that," he said.
All sporting events in Iran have been suspended, including matches in the Persian Gulf Pro League, the country's top football division. Reports indicate that Iranian authorities are evaluating whether to withdraw the national team from the tournament for security reasons.
Iran's participation would mark their fourth consecutive World Cup appearance. The country did not withdraw from competition last summer when the US bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities.
The US travel ban announced by the Trump administration already barred Iranian nationals from entering the country, though an exemption for sports teams was included. FIFA's general secretary Mattias Grafström said Saturday that the organization's focus is "to have a safe World Cup with everybody participating." FIFA did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Iran's current situation regarding World Cup participation.
Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, stated that while the country would demand explanations for the attacks, officials would consider how to respond. However, Ali Lariyani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said Monday that the country "will not negotiate with the United States," contradicting earlier diplomatic signals.