Iran cannot participate in the 2026 World Cup after co-host, ​the U.S. launched airstrikes alongside Israel, Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali said on Wednesday.

The attacks killed the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali ‌Khamenei, and triggered a region-wide conflict.

“Considering that this corrupt regime has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup,” the minister told state television.

The 48-team World Cup will be held in the U.S., Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19.

“Our children are not safe and, fundamentally, such conditions for participation do not exist,” Donyamali said.

“Given ​the malicious actions they have carried out against Iran, they have forced two wars on us over eight or nine months and have killed and martyred thousands of our people. Therefore, we certainly cannot have such a presence.”

More than 1,300 Iranian civilians have ⁠been killed since the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes began on February 28, according to Iran’s U.N. ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani.

IRAN DRAWN TO PLAY IN LA ​AND SEATTLE

Iran are grouped with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand.

All three of their Group G matches are scheduled to take place in the U.S., two in Los ​Angeles and one in Seattle.

Iran, who dominated the Asian qualifying rounds to qualify for the tournament in March last year, was the only nation missing from a FIFA planning summit for World Cup participants held last week in Atlanta.

There was no immediate comment from the Iranian Football Federation or world soccer’s governing body FIFA.

FIFA regulations state that any team that ​withdraws from the tournament “no later than 30 days before the first match” will be fined at least 250,000 Swiss francs ($320,800).

“Disciplinary sanctions may include the expulsion ​of the participating member association concerned from subsequent FIFA competitions and/or the replacement of the participating member association with another member association,” FIFA’s regulations say.

“The FIFA Council or the ‌relevant committee ⁠may decide, in particular, to replace the member association in question with another association.”

Iran had selected Tucson’s sprawling Kino Sports Complex as the team’s base camp and 18 months of preparation hang in the balance with a potential economic hit in Arizona.

There is also the question of tickets to World Cup games involving Iran. Should Iran boycott the tournament, Iranian fans who bought tickets for eye-watering prices may be tempted to sell them on the huge resale market.

INFANTINO SAYS TRUMP WELCOMES IRAN ​TEAM

Earlier, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said ​he had met U.S. President Donald ⁠Trump, who told him he welcomed Iran’s participation in the World Cup.

Trump had previously said “I really don’t care” if Iran participated or not, but Infantino said he had a productive discussion with the president.

“During the discussions, President Trump reiterated that ​the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,” Infantino said.

A ​source in Tehran familiar ⁠with the matter said that as well as Iran’s decision not to attend the World Cup, warm-up games were not possible because of the war.

Earlier this week, Australia granted humanitarian visas to five Iranian women soccer players after they sought asylum, fearing persecution on their return home for their refusal to sing the national anthem at ⁠a Women’s ​Asian Cup match.

Trump had called on Australia to give asylum to members of the Iran ​women’s soccer team.

On Wednesday, Australian police helped two more members of the Iranian women’s soccer delegation slip their minders to claim asylum, but one has changed her mind and decided to go back to ​Iran, the country’s interior minister said.

-Reuters

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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday that he met with United States President Donald Trump, who told him he welcomed Iran’s participation in the ​2026 Soccer World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico ‌and Canada.

Iran was the only nation missing from a FIFA planning summit for World Cup participants held last week in Atlanta, deepening questions over whether the country’s soccer team will compete ​on U.S. soil this summer amid an escalating regional war.

Trump told Politico ​earlier that he is not concerned about Iran’s participation, as they ⁠were a “very badly defeated country”.

“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,” soccer’s world governing body, FIFA, boss Infantino said in a post on his official social media account.

“During the discussions, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of ​course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States.

“We all need ​an event like the FIFA World Cup to bring people together now more than ever, and ‌I ⁠sincerely thank the President of the United States for his support, as it shows once again that Football Unites the World.”

Iran secured a trip to a fourth successive World Cup by topping Group A in the third round of Asian qualifying ​last year, but Mehdi ​Taj, president of ⁠the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, said the viciousness of the attacks by U.S. and Israeli forces did ​not augur well for the World Cup, to be held ​from June ⁠11 to July 19.

The Iranians were grouped with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand in Group G. Their matches are scheduled to take place in the U.S., two in ⁠Los ​Angeles and one in Seattle.

If both the U.S. and ​Iran finish second in their respective groups, the two countries could meet in a July 3 elimination ​match in Dallas.

-Reuters

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A delegation from FIFA has begun a crucial inspection tour across Spain, Portugal and Morocco to evaluate preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

The two-week tour, which started on March 9, forms part of FIFA’s evaluation process ahead of the official announcement of host stadiums scheduled for December 2026.

The inspection mission, conducted in collaboration with the national football federations of the three countries, is aimed at assessing stadium infrastructure, organisational readiness and logistical arrangements across the candidate host cities.

Spain and Portugal First Stops

The FIFA delegation began its tour in Spain, where it visited major stadium facilities in Barcelona and Madrid. Officials inspected venues and reviewed ongoing infrastructure works as part of the preparations for the historic centenary tournament.

After completing the Spanish leg of the inspection, the delegation proceeded to Portugal before concluding the tour in Morocco.

Reports from the inspection indicate that FIFA officials were impressed by the progress of the redevelopment of Camp Nou in Barcelona, highlighting the importance of stadium readiness in the final selection of host venues.

Morocco’s Candidate Cities Under Review

The final stage of the inspection will take place in Morocco, where FIFA officials will assess stadiums and facilities in six candidate host cities.

In Casablanca, the delegation will review the construction progress of the proposed Grand Stade Hassan II, which is expected to seat about 115,000 spectators and is being considered as a possible venue for the tournament final.

Other Moroccan venues scheduled for inspection include the Complexe Moulay Abdellah in Rabat and the Grand Stade de Tanger, which is currently undergoing expansion.

Existing stadiums in Marrakech, Agadir and Fès are also being renovated and upgraded to meet FIFA’s technical and safety standards.

Key Areas of Assessment

During the inspection, FIFA officials are evaluating several critical areas including stadium safety, VIP facilities, media operations, transport infrastructure and accommodation capacity for teams, officials and supporters.

Morocco has already embarked on several major projects to strengthen its readiness for the tournament.

These include the implementation of an integrated security system featuring facial recognition technology, surveillance drones and a specialised judicial framework designed to manage large-scale sporting events.

On the administrative side, the Moroccan authorities have established the Morocco 2030 Foundation to coordinate development projects linked to the tournament.

Race to Host the Final

One of the most closely watched aspects of the 2030 World Cup preparations is the competition between Morocco and Spain to host the tournament’s final match.

With the construction of the massive Grand Stade Hassan II and ongoing stadium upgrades across the country, Morocco is positioning itself strongly to host several knockout-stage matches, including potentially the final.

FIFA officials say the ongoing inspection tour is a critical step in ensuring that all candidate cities meet the organisation’s requirements for hosting the global showpiece.

Findings from the two-week inspection will form part of FIFA’s technical evaluation report, which will influence the final decision on host venues expected to be announced in December 2026.

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