Written by Mohamed Salem
Iranian Sports Minister Ahmad Doniamale announced on Tuesday that the Iranian national football team's participation in the 2026 World Cup depends on guaranteeing the safety of the players.
Doniamale pointed out that the final decision regarding the participation of the Iranian national football team in the 2026 World Cup will be in the hands of the Iranian government and the Supreme National Security Council.
Iran's participation in the 2026 World Cup
“We will participate in the World Cup if the safety of the national team players in the United States is guaranteed,” Doniamale told Iranian media.
He added: “We must be prepared, but we may not go to the World Cup; the final decision will be in the hands of the government and the Supreme National Security Council.”.
Regarding the American-Israeli war on his country, Dunyamali said: “If any other country had been in the United States” place, it would have been stripped of the right to host the World Cup and the Olympics.”.
The 2026 World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, for the first time in the history of the tournament with three countries participating in hosting, but Iran will play its matches in America.
Iran's matches in the 2026 World Cup
The United States will host the majority of World Cup matches, including Iran's group stage matches, which are scheduled to take place in American cities, including Los Angeles and Seattle.
Iran will play in Group G of the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Egypt, New Zealand and Belgium.
Recently, Evelina Christelin, a former member of FIFA, acknowledged the difficulty of Iran's participation in the 2026 World Cup.
There is uncertainty surrounding Iran's participation in the World Cup in light of the recent war between the United States and Iran.
Iranian federation officials fueled this controversy by making statements about not participating, but without taking any official action, while FIFA President Gianni Infantino insisted on the participation of the Iranian national team.
