Soccer-Iran cannot participate in World Cup, sports minister says

March 11 (Reuters) - Iran cannot participate in the 2026 World Cup after co-host the United States launched airstrikes against the country alongside Israel, killing its leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sports minister Ahmad Donyamali said on Wednesday.

The United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran nearly two weeks ago, killing the Islamic Republic's supreme leader, leading to a region-wide conflict in the Gulf.

"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 United States, 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

In the draw last December, the Iranians were grouped with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand. All three of their Group G matches were 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.

Reuters has contacted the Iranian Football Federation for comment, while there was no immediate comment from FIFA on a replacement if Iran followed through with a boycott.

FIFA regulations for the World Cup 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) by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.

"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.

INFANTINO SAYS PRESIDENT 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 2026 Soccer World Cup.

Trump had previously said "I really don't care" if Iran participated at the World Cup 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 the decision was not to attend the World Cup, while warm-up games were also not possible because of the war.

($1 = 0.7793 Swiss francs)