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Iran Announces Withdrawal From World Cup After Death of Ali Khamenei and Escalation of Conflict Involving United States and Israel
The topic Iran in the World Cup gained new contours this Wednesday (11), after Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali stated that the country has withdrawn from the tournament. The decision involves the country‘s participation in the FIFA competition, hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Official Statement on Iran in the World Cup
According to Reuters, Ahmad Donyamali communicated the decision to Iranian state television on the morning of Wednesday (11). According to the minister, the country will not participate in the competition organized by FIFA.
He stated that, given the current scenario, there are no conditions for the national team to compete in the international tournament.
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“Considering that this corrupt regime (US) murdered our leader, under no circumstances will we participate in the World Cup,” Donyamali said during the interview.
The minister also mentioned that Iranian children would not be safe and that the current context makes the country’s presence in the competition impossible.
According to him, actions deemed hostile had provoked two recent wars against Iran in the past eight or nine months, resulting in thousands of deaths.
Group and Scheduled Games of Iran in the World Cup
Before the decision announced by the government, the Iranian national team was included in Group G of the tournament.
The group also consisted of Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand, as defined in the draw held in December.
The three matches of the Iranian team were scheduled to take place on U.S. soil. Two games would be played in Los Angeles, and a third match was planned for Seattle.
The FIFA World Cup is set to take place from June 11 to July 19. The tournament will be jointly held by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Absence in FIFA Meeting
Last week, Iranian representatives did not attend a planning summit hosted by FIFA.
The meeting brought together teams qualified for the tournament and took place in Atlanta.
The topic Iran in the World Cup became a subject of questioning again after this absence at the preparatory event.
Reuters reported that it sought FIFA for comments on the case but did not receive a response as of now.
Regional Conflict and Impacts
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei died on February 28 following a joint attack by the United States and Israel.
The episode initiated a conflict that has already lasted for 11 days, with effects on the global economy and concerns related to oil production and flow.
Nevertheless, FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated that he discussed the matter with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Infantino said on social media that Trump supported Iran’s participation in the tournament.
According to him, the U.S. president claimed that the Iranian national team would be welcome to compete.
Trump also previously stated to Politico that he showed no concern regarding the country’s presence.
Despite the qualification achieved by leading Group A in the Asian qualifiers, Iranian Football Federation President Mehdi Taj stated that the intensity of the attacks does not bode well for the competition.
The situation involving Iran in the World Cup continues to raise doubts about the national team’s presence in the tournament.
With information from G1.
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