When Iran secured qualification for this summer’s World Cup in March 2025, the major concern revolved around how the nation’s fans would be able to attend the tournament in the United States in the face of a travel ban. Now it appears the players won’t be there either.
12 days after the first air strike on Iran was launched by the U.S. military, Iran’s sports minister Ahmad Donyamali declared: “Under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup.”
