Iran have made clear they won’t take part in the World Cup this summer (Image: Getty)
Iran will not participate in this summer’s World Cup due to the ongoing conflict with Israel and the United States, according to the country’s sports minister. There had been speculation that Iran might boycott the tournament due to the escalating tensions in the Middle East.
The tournament is set to take place in America, Canada and Mexico this summer. Iran have been placed in Group G alongside New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt, with the tournament scheduled to commence on 11 June. However, the sports minister, Ahmad Donyamal, has disclosed in a television interview their intention to boycott. “Since this corrupt government assassinated our leader, we have no conditions under which we can participate in the World Cup,” he said.
“In view of the malicious measures taken against Iran, two wars were forced upon us within eight or nine months, and several thousand of our people were killed. Therefore, we definitely have no possibility of participating in this way.”
Iran’s decision to withdraw from the tournament before a ball has even been kicked presents a significant challenge for FIFA, as no qualified nation has ever boycotted the World Cup for political reason. Following confirmation of Iran’s decision, Express Sport examines past instances of countries withdrawing from the World Cup due to political circumstances.
Uruguay – 1934
The reigning World Champions were set to compete in the second edition of the tournament in 1934 after their triumph four years earlier. Nevertheless, they withdrew in protest after several European sides refused to make the journey to South America for the 1930 World Cup in Uruguay.
The 1934 World Cup stands as the only edition where the defending champions failed to take part.
Austria – 1938
Austria, considered among the favourites for the 1938 tournament, were unable to compete following the Nazi annexation of the country at that time. Whilst some Austrian players joined the German squad, star player Matthias Sindelar refused to represent the Nazi-controlled nation.
India – 1950
On the sole occasion that India qualified for the World Cup, they chose not to attend. In 1950, the Asian nation progressed to the finals automatically following withdrawals during qualification.
Their absence was attributed to travel costs, training time constraints and team selection difficulties.
African teams – 1966
The 1966 tournament holds a special place in English hearts, but one detail frequently overlooked is the absence of African nations. The continent’s teams boycotted the qualifying stages in protest against FIFA’s allocation of just one place for the African, Asian and Oceania confederations combined.
Chile – 1974
In 1974, the world saw a qualified nation almost withdraw from the World Cup on political grounds. During the intercontinental play-off between Chile and the Soviet Union, the Soviets refused to participate in the match in opposition to Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship.
He had overthrown the socialist government, turning Chile from a previous Soviet ally into an opponent. As a result, the Chilean players took to the field alone, with captain Francisco Valdes scoring into an unguarded net before the fixture was abandoned.
2022 World Cup protests
In more recent times, boycott threats have been scarce, though tensions did surface during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. All 32 qualified nations took part in the competition, but there were protests from certain players regarding alleged human rights abuses and the country’s contentious LGBT record.
