The 2026 World Cup gets underway on June 11Iran’s sports minister has confirmed that the Middle Eastern nation has no intention of travelling to North America for this summer’s World Cup. The conflict looks as if it is going to have an impact on the upcoming World Cup, with Iranian officials claiming their national team won’t be involved. He said during a television interview: "Considering that this corrupt ⁠regime [the US] has ⁠assassinated our leader, under no circumstances ⁠can we ⁠participate in ⁠the World Cup. Should Iran pull out, FIFA would need to replace them at short notice, but that is expected to cause geopolitical and logistical problems. Iraq will play the winner of Bolivia and Suriname for a spot at the World Cup - a fixture that throws a spanner in the works for deciding on a potential replacement.

Source: Express March 11, 2026 19:08 UTC