*This content was translated by AI.
Iran's national soccer team will not compete in the 2026 FIFA 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup, Iranian Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali said in person.
According to foreign media reports such as Iranian media RTÉ, Middle East Al Jazeera Broadcasting, and the Guardian, Donyamali declared on state TV on the 11th (Korea Standard Time) that "this corrupt regime (US) assassinated our leader (Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei) and cannot participate in the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup in any case."
Earlier, it was unclear whether the Iranian national team would play in 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup as the war continued, with the death of Iran's supreme leader Khamenei in the aftermath of the U.S.-Israel airstrikes on Iran, which the Iranian government has effectively announced its position not to participate in the World Cup.
"This is the first time an Iranian government official has mentioned whether the Iranian national soccer team will participate in the World Cup since the U.S. and Israel first attacked Iran on the 28th of last month," Al Jazeera said.
Iran previously advanced to the finals as No. 1 in Group A in the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup, and in the draw held in December last year, it was in Group G along with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand. The World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, and coincidentally, all three of Iran's group matches will be held in the United States. There is even a possibility that Iran and the U.S. (Group D) will face off if they reach the round of 32 as second place in the group.
Naturally, the possibility of Iran's absence from 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup was also raised. In this regard, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said, "I had a direct conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump about the current situation in Iran and the World Cup of the Iranian national soccer team. President Trump reaffirmed his position that "I welcome the Iranian national team's participation in the World Cup," and predicted Iran's participation in the World Cup positively.
However, as Minister Donyamali mentioned the Iranian national team's absence from the World Cup, considerable repercussions were inevitable for the North Korea-China-U.S. World Cup, which is about 90 days away. It is the first time in 76 years that there have been cases of absence after the World Cup draw since the 1950 Brazil Games.
If Iran's absence is finally confirmed at the FIFA level, FIFA should search for an alternative team to play in the World Cup on behalf of Iran. There is also a plan to play Group G in a three-team system without an alternative team, but in this case, the top eight teams with good performance among the third-place teams in each group need to change the rules of the tournament to reach the round of 32 tournaments, and the possibility is slim as various issues such as broadcasting are intertwined.
If a team that does not participate in the tournament comes out, there are no clear regulations related to the alternative team, so in fact, it is necessary to find an alternative team at FIFA's discretion. For now, Iraq, which won the fifth Asian qualifying round and advanced to the intercontinental playoff (PO), will take the place, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which lost to Iraq in the fifth qualifying round, will instead head to the intercontinental PO. Other Asian teams, such as China, have virtually no justification, and another controversy is inevitable if the tickets are returned to other continents.
Apart from alternative teams, the Iranian Football Association must return fines for not attending the tournament, as well as subsidies received from FIFA. In addition, he may be referred to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee and face additional disciplinary action. In particular, FIFA, including Infantino, has adhered to Iran's principle of participating in the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup, which could lead to a suspension of eligibility for international tournaments such as the World Cup four years later, depending on the level of disciplinary action.
<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>
*This content was translated by AI.
