Iran threatens to withdraw from 2026 World Cup after US strikes

2026-03-02 - 08:48

IRAN could boycott the World Cup after US airstrikes killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Violence between Iran, America and Israel escalated dramatically on Friday and Saturday with bombs being dropped from all sides. Donald Trump and Israel struck major Iranian cities including Tehran, the capital, in a joint military operation, with the US President vowing to “hit them with a force that has never been seen before!” Iran’s government retaliated to the strikes by firing missiles at targets in neighbouring states including Saudi Arabia and Qatar. British jets were launched to protect allied nations from Iranian shells, meaning five of the nations taking part in the finals were involved in the conflict. The crisis comes just three months before the World Cup in USA, Canada, and Mexico, which Iran are due to compete at. But Iranian Football Federation president Mehdi Taj has put the country’s involvement in extreme doubt. He is reported in Marca as saying: “With what happened today and with that attack by the United States, it is unlikely that we can look forward to the cup.” He added: “But the sports chiefs are the ones who must decide on that.” Iran has been drawn in a group with New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt, with their first fixture slated for the morning of June 16.