Photo by Aparhizi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Iran’s Sports Minister Rips the US
To the surprise of no one, Donyamali did not hold back in blaming the US for the decision to skip the World Cup.
Considering that this corrupt regime [the US] has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup. Our children are not safe, and, fundamentally, such conditions for participation do not exist.
The minister also referenced the attacks made by the US over the summer. Iran believes the multiple conflicts would leave them fearing to send their athletes there in three months, even if the conflict were settled today.
FIFA President Promises Iran Would be Welcome
While Iran has made its decision on the 2026 World Cup, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has promised that their players could safely participate. He claimed that President Trump would welcome Iran’s national team, despite his previous non-committal statements.
Trump later confirmed Infantino’s words, though he stopped short of promising their safety.
FIFA Insists Tournament Won’t be Postponed
With the conflict continuing without any clear end in sight, there had been some hope that FIFA would postpone the tournament.
The biggest fear among fans will be the elevated terror threat. While that danger is always present for the tournament, current tensions have increased those fears. Given that host cities still have not had access to crucial security funding, there is reason for fans to think twice before visiting.
FIFA has acknowledged some of those concerns, but World Cup COO Heimo Schirgi confirmed a postponement was impossible.
If I had a crystal ball, I could tell you now what is going to happen, but obviously the situation is developing, Schirgi said. “It’s changing day by day, and we are monitoring closely. We’re working together with all our federal partners and also our international partners in evaluating the situation, and we basically take it day by day, and at some stage, we will have a resolution. And the World Cup will go on, obviously, right? The World Cup is too big, and we hope that everyone can participate that has qualified.
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