2026 World Cup: Iran First to Withdraw

2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is facing unprecedented geopolitical turbulence just months before kickoff.

In a major development, Iran has officially become the first nation to withdraw from the tournament. The announcement came directly from Iran’s Minister of Sport and Youth, Ahmad Donyamali, who declared in a statement on state television that the country will not participate under any circumstances.

Donyamali cited the recent US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, which resulted in the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28, 2026, as the primary reason for the boycott. The strikes, part of a broader joint military operation, have triggered widespread conflict across the Middle East, including Iranian retaliatory attacks on US military bases in the region.

“Considering that this corrupt regime [the US] has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup,” Donyamali said during the interview. He emphasized that security conditions, ongoing hostilities, and the deaths of thousands of Iranians make participation impossible. “Our children are not safe, and fundamentally, such conditions for participation do not exist,” he added.

Iran had qualified for the expanded 48-team tournament and were drawn in Group G, with scheduled matches against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June 15 and 21, respectively, and against Egypt in Seattle on June 26. All group-stage games for Iran were set to take place in the United States, the primary co-host and a key player in the conflict.

The withdrawal follows earlier doubts raised by officials from the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI), who indicated participation was increasingly unlikely amid the war. FIFA has yet to issue an official response to Iran’s decision, but regulations allow the governing body wide discretion to replace a withdrawing team or adjust group formats. Potential replacements could come from the Asian Football Confederation, with teams like Iraq or the United Arab Emirates mentioned as possibilities.

This move tests FIFA’s ability to insulate the World Cup from global politics, especially with the tournament hosted partly in a nation directly involved in the conflict. FIFA President Gianni Infantino recently met with US President Donald Trump, who stated Iran would be “welcome” at the event despite the war, though the Iranian government’s firm stance appears to override any such overtures.

The 2026 World Cup, running from June to July, remains on schedule, but Iran’s exit marks a historic first and raises questions about potential further disruptions in a region already reeling from the fallout of Khamenei’s death and the ongoing “Ramadan War.”