Disruption, cancellation fears grow as US-Iran tensions escalate
U.S President Donald Trump has warned the Iranian football team not come to the World Cup “for their own life and safety,” reports itv.com.

In a post on Truth Social yesterday, Trump wrote: “The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety.”

Trump’s comment comes just days after telling FIFA President Giovanni Infantino that the team would be welcome, despite the ongoing war in the Middle East.

In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Infantino confirmed he had spoken to Trump about the current situation in Iran.

The FIFA boss said: “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.”

The 2026 World Cup is set to take place in the summer, hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico.

The U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran at the end of February, killing Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran’s Minister of Sports and Youth, Ahmad Donyamali, said in an interview with the IRIB Sports Network on Tuesday that Iran would not be partaking.

Donyamali said: “Given that this corrupt government has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances do we have the appropriate conditions to participate in the World Cup.

“Our boys are not safe, and conditions for participation do not exist.”

He added: “Over the past eight or nine months, two wars have been imposed on us and several thousand of our people have been killed and martyred. Therefore, we definitely do not have the possibility for participation.”

Iran is currently one of 48 teams in tournament and is scheduled to face New Zealand on June 15.

They have not officially withdrawn from the World Cup.

Meanwhile, there is growing global tensions and widespread conflict, against a social and political backdrop that some believe is already verging on World War-like conditions, reports mirror.co.uk.

As both major and minor conflicts and fully declared wars pepper the globe, pundits have begun to ponder how significant cultural events of the year might be impacted – including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scheduled to be hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico.

It marks the first time in 32 years that the United States will host the football tournament, and just three months prior to its commencement, the nation is embroiled in several of the most significant ongoing conflicts.

Analysts also highlight that Iran did not withdraw from the group matches in 2025, despite reports that the US was already targeting its nuclear facilities.

World Cups have been called off twice previously due to wars. During the Second World War, when stadiums were utilised as military bases, the 1942 and 1946 tournaments – scheduled to hold in either of the bidding nations, Nazi Germany or Brazil – did not proceed as planned.

Following the war’s conclusion, plans were revived and FIFA granted hosting rights to Brazil – concluding a 12-year break.
Moreover, unilateral boycotts of tournaments by federations are not uncommon.

In the ‘50s, Turkey, Indonesia, Egypt and Sudan withdrew from the qualifiers, refusing to play against Israel, and the entire African continent boycotted the 1966 Cup after FIFA ruled it had to compete with Asia and Oceania for a single spot for one nation.

The USSR boycotted the 1974 playoffs, declining to play Chile for political reasons, and England held extensive talks in 1982 about avoiding a match against Argentina amidst Falklands War tensions