Iran's sports minister says the team will skip the World Cup; the AFC disagrees

Iranian sports minister Ahmad Donyamali said Iran will not participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He cited security concerns amid the Iran war. The tournament is to be hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Days later, Asian Football Confederation secretary general Windsor John said the Iran team will still play.

The FIFA World Cup is the world championship of association football, held every four years. A national federation normally decides, with FIFA, whether its qualified team appears. Donyamali's statement was a minister's declaration that Iran would not take part. Security amid the war was the reason he gave.

The hosts are three countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The report did not say Iran had been drawn into a group or name its opponents. It dealt with whether the team would show up at all. The minister's answer was no.

Windsor John, secretary general of the Asian Football Confederation, then said the Iran national team will still play. The AFC is the governing body for football in Asia. His statement contradicted the minister's withdrawal. He said the team would play despite remarks from United States president Donald Trump that their safety could be at risk.

Two officials, one in Tehran's sports ministry and one at the continental federation, offered opposite public positions in the same week. The minister cited the war. The federation official said participation would continue even with a presidential warning about safety. Neither statement, in the reports, included a FIFA ruling that settled the argument.

Ahmad Donyamali said Iran would skip the World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States because of security during the war. Windsor John of the Asian Football Confederation said Iran will still play, despite Trump's remarks about the team's safety. The week closed with those two positions on the record. No final FIFA decision was part of the reports.