From 1934 to 2026: Iran Joins the List of Political World Cup Boycotts

Iran's national football team will not participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup due to the ongoing military conflict involving the United States and Israel. Ahmad Donyamali, Iran's Minister of Sports, stated that there are currently "no conditions” allowing the Iranian team to take part in the tournament. All three of Iran's scheduled group-stage matches were set to take place in the United States. The team had been drawn into a group alongside the national teams of Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand. So far, Iran remains the only team to withdraw from the upcoming tournament. However, discussions of a potential boycott have previously surfaced. In January, The Economist journalist Shashank Joshi reported that amid political tensions surrounding Greenland, European officials had considered the idea of boycotting the World Cup, which will partly take place in the United States this summer.