“Football unites the world.”
Amid so much political turmoil throughout the world, that’s the slogan FIFA has been touting ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Football — or soccer, to people in America — is widely considered the most global sport in the world, especially when you have 48 countries vying for one trophy and the respect that comes with it.
However, it turns out that football doesn’t unite the world.
According to Iranian sports minister Ahmad Donyamali, Iran will not be competing at the World Cup.
He told state television that the country will not participate, “given that this corrupt government assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup.”
This news comes as Iran is engaged with the United States and Israel in a war in the Middle East. The war escalated on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched surprise airstrikes on the country.
Ayatollah Ali Khameini, Iran’s Supreme Leader, was killed on the first day of the attacks. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has since replaced him as Iran’s new Supreme Leader.
According to an Instagram post by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, President Trump assured him that Iran would be welcome to compete in the world’s event that’s hosted co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
“This evening, I met with the President of the 🇺🇸 United States, Donald J. Trump to discuss the status of preparations for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, and the growing excitement as we are set to kick off in just 93 days.” Infantino posted late Tuesday night.
“We also spoke about the current situation in Iran, and the fact that the Iranian team has qualified to participate in the FIFA World Cup 2026. During the discussions, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States.
“We all need an event like the FIFA World Cup to bring people together now more than ever, and I sincerely thank the President of the United States for his support, as it shows once again that Football Unites the World. ⚽️🌎🌍🌏❤️”
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