Iranian authorities have reversed their decision to withdraw the Iranian national team from the 2026 World Cup, but have set a key condition for allowing the team to travel to the United States and participate in the tournament.
Iranian Sports Minister Ahmad Doniamalei had confirmed Iran’s withdrawal from the World Cup in statements to the German Press Agency (DPA) on Wednesday, citing the aggression waged by the US and Israel against his country.
On Thursday, the Mehr News Agency reported that Iran has not officially withdrawn from the World Cup and that the Iranian government will allow the national team players to participate in the highly anticipated event, provided that security guarantees are received from FIFA and the host country.
Iran wants assurances that the team members will be able to participate in training and official matches under FIFA supervision without any problems.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino had previously confirmed that US President Donald Trump welcomed Iran’s participation in the 2026 World Cup on US soil, with the necessary protection provided to any other participating team.
Iran is expected to announce its final position on participating in the anticipated historic event, noting that the Asian team is in the same group as Egypt, Belgium and New Zealand.
