FIFA Assures Iran’s Participation in US-Hosted World Cup
Iran has qualified for the World Cup finals and is scheduled to play three group-stage matches in the US beginning June 15. However, Iranian representatives did not attend a recent FIFA planning meeting in Atlanta, sparking speculation about whether the team would compete, especially amid concerns over US visa approvals during the ongoing campaign against Iran’s government.
Last week, Trump told Politico he was indifferent to Iran’s participation, describing Iran as “a very badly defeated country.” Mehdi Taj, president of Iran’s Soccer Federation, said after the attacks that “we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope.”
On Wednesday, Iranian Sport Minister Ahmad Donyamali announced that the country would not take part in the tournament, citing “malicious measures taken against Iran” and the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by the “corrupt” US government. Donyamali said in a televised interview that “two wars were forced upon us within eight or nine months, and several thousand of our people were killed. Therefore, we definitely have no possibility of participating in this way.”
US officials have offered varying estimates of the conflict’s duration, initially suggesting several days, then weeks, while media reports indicate the Pentagon is preparing for at least three months of hostilities. Iranian authorities say their forces could sustain operations for years.
The situation contrasts with international sports responses to previous conflicts, such as sanctions imposed on Russia and Belarus by multiple global organizations, including the International Olympic Committee after the 2022 escalation in Ukraine. In those cases, athletes and national teams were barred from competitions, but no similar restrictions have been applied—or formally considered—for the US or Israel.
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