Iran are not in a position to participate in the 2026 World Cup, says the country’s Minister of Sports and Youth Ahmad Donyamali.

The team are scheduled to play three group matches in the tournament, which is being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico and gets under way on 11 June.

Iran are due to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on 15 and 21 June respectively, and Egypt in Seattle on 26 June.

But their participation has been in doubt since the US and Israel launched strikes on the country, killing supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones towards Israel and other nations which host US military bases.

Earlier on Wednesday, Fifa president Gianni Infantino said US President Donald Trump had told him Iran are “welcome to compete” at this summer’s finals.

But in an interview with the IRIB Sports Network on Tuesday, 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 that “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.”

Infantino had earlier posted on Instagram that he had met with President Trump to discuss preparations for the tournament and “spoke about the current situation in Iran”.

He said: “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.”

Mehdi Taj, the head of Iran’s Football Federation, had also questioned their ability to participate in the World Cup, following six members of Iran’s women’s national team receiving “humanitarian” visas from Australia over concerns for their safety.

The remaining Iranian players left Australia on Tuesday after the team’s elimination from the Asian Cup.

Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said seven people were granted asylum, but one woman later changed her mind and opted to return home.

Taj said: “Given the problems created for the female footballers, if the World Cup outlook is like this, no sound mind would accept sending the team to the US.”

Fifa rules state “if any participating member association withdraws and/or is excluded” from the 2026 tournament, world football’s governing body “shall decide on the matter at its sole discretion and take whatever action is deemed necessary”. It “may decide to replace the participating member association in question with another association”.

Source: BBC

Two of Anthony Joshua’s “close friends and team members” were killed in the car crash in Nigeria in which the British heavyweight boxer was injured.

Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodeledied when the vehicle they were in, alongside Joshua and another passenger, collided with a stationary truck on a major road near Lagos.

Joshua is stable and conscious and did not require emergency medical help, according to Ogun state government., external

Joshua’s promoters Matchroom offered their “deepest condolences and prayers” to the family and friends of Ghami and Ayodele, who was also known as ‘Latz’.

“With profound sadness it has been confirmed that two close friends and team members Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele have tragically passed away,” read a statement.

“Matchroom Boxing and 258 BXG can confirm that Anthony sustained injuries in the accident and was taken to hospital for checks and treatment. He is in a stable condition and will remain there for observation.

“Our deepest condolences and prayers are with the families and friends of all those affected – and we ask that their privacy is respected at this incredibly difficult time.”

Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn said: “With the heaviest of hearts. Two great men. Rest in eternal peace Sina and Latz. My thoughts and deepest prayers are with everyone.”

A spokesperson for Joshua said Ghami and Ayodele were “integral” to the boxer’s team, adding the news of their deaths was “truly shocking and devastating”.

‘Massive parts of the Joshua machine’

Ghami was Joshua’s full-time sport and exercise rehabilitation coach and had worked with the 36-year-old for more than 10 years.

He helped the former heavyweight champion prepare for some of the biggest bouts of his career, including the title-winning fight against Wladimir Klitschko in 2017 and this month’s win over Jake Paul.

Ghami has also worked with former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell and the Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green.

Just hours before the crash, Joshua posted a video on Instagram of him playing table tennis with his long-time friend Ayodele, a personal trainer.

Boxing expert Steve Bunce described Ghami and Ayodele as “two of Joshua’s closest friends”.

“They’ve been with him, if not from the start, at least very early on. Latz is AJ’s personal trainer and Sina is his strength and conditioning man. They are with him all the time,” Bunce told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“He calls them his boys. They’re more than that. They are friends. They may have strict jobs, they might be his strength and conditioning coach, his personal trainer, his dietitian, his nutritionist, but they’re close and he loves that close circle.

“Sina and Latz are massive parts of the Anthony Joshua machine.”

Fellow boxer Chris Eubank Jr was among those to pay tribute to Ghami and Ayodele, calling them “genuinely good men”.

The British middleweight said:, external “Thank god our heavyweight champ survived that horrible car crash. And pray for the two fallen soldiers Latz & Sina & their families. I knew both, they were genuinely good men. Rest in Peace boys.”

Joshua was in Nigeria after stopping American YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul in the sixth round of their heavyweight bout in Miami earlier this month.

Writing on X,, external Paul said: “Life is much more important than boxing. I am praying for the lost lives, AJ and anyone impacted by today’s unfortunate accident.”

Former New Zealand rugby star Sonny Bill Williams posted pictures with Joshua and Latif,, external adding: “Rest easy brother Abdul Latif, may the most high make it easy for your loved ones.”

British bantamweight Shannon Courtenay said:, external “RIP Sina and Latz, two good guys. Last week we’re all having fun in Miami and today you’re gone, life really is too short. May the Lord look over their loved ones during this awful time.”

Video from the scene showed Joshua being helped out from the back seat of a wrecked large car.

Five adult men were involved in the crash in total, Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said.

They added that Joshua and another man – the vehicle’s driver – were rescued by the boxer’s security team.

The incident involved two vehicles, a black Lexus and a stationary red commercial truck, and took place on the busy Lagos-Ibadan expressway at around 12:00 local time (11:00 GMT) on Monday.

The FRSC said the Lexus was “suspected to be travelling beyond the legally prescribed speed limit”, based on preliminary findings.

It said the car appeared to have “lost control during an overtaking manoeuvre” and crashed into the stationary truck by the side of the road.

‘Emotional impact of crash impossible to measure’

Joshua had only just returned to the ring after more than a year out, beating Jake Paul on Netflix in what was a huge pay day, and he was in Nigeria simply to spend New Year with family when this tragedy struck.

The plan had been for Joshua to fight again in Saudi Arabia in February before eventually moving towards the long-talked-about Tyson Fury bout later in 2026. But right now, those plans feel secondary.

Joshua has lost two people close to him, friends first and foremost, including his long-time strength and conditioning coach Ghami, and the emotional impact of that is impossible to measure. Ghami was by his side throughout fight week in Miami, and joined him in the ring after his win over Paul.

Whatever he decides to do next in the twilight of his career almost feels insignificant, with the boxing world united in hoping that one of Britain’s most accomplished fighters comes through this ordeal in good health.

Source: BBC

Superstar footballer Cristiano Ronaldo attended a White House black-tie dinner alongside the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia on Tuesday night.

Speaking ahead of the event, US President Donald Trump said it was an “honour” to host Ronaldo, whose starring role in the Saudi football league has seen him become a face of the country’s modernisation drive.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman wants to reduce the country’s dependence on oil revenues by diversifying into other areas including sports and tourism.

A White House official confirmed earlier in the day that Ronaldo would attend, but did not say if he was part of bin Salman’s official delegation.

Many critics claim Saudi’s investment is aimed at gaining legitimacy and deflecting attention from its human rights record and the environmental impact of its oil industry – a practice referred to as ‘sportswashing’.

Trump used his speech at the dinner to praise closer ties with Saudi Arabia, labelling the country a “major non-Nato ally”. Earlier in the day, Trump hosted the Saudi crown prince in the Oval Office.

Turning to the Portuguese soccer star, Trump told the gathered guests: “My son is a big fan of Ronaldo”.

“And Baron (Trump) got to meet him, and I think he respects his father a little bit more now, just the fact that I introduced you.”

Also at the dinner was tech billionaire Elon Musk, who joined other influential business leaders including Apple CEO Tim Cook. It is the first time Musk has been to the White House since stepping down as the head of the Trump administration’s Department for Government Efficiency (Doge) in April.

A dramatic feud between Trump and the Tesla tycoon played out publicly for months, and included Musk announcing that he would set up a new political party.

Ronaldo’s attendance at the White House, meanwhile, marks one of his first known visits to the US since 2016.

In the interim he has faced an allegation of sexual assault. Kathryn Mayorga alleged that Ronaldo raped her in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009, which he denied.

“I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me. Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in,” he said in a statement in 2018.

In 2019, US prosecutors said Ronaldo would not face charges because the claims could not be proven.

In early 2023, Ronaldo made the jump to Saudi Arabia when he became the face of the Saudi Pro League and captain of Al Nassr – the football club owned by sovereign wealth fund PIF which is chaired by the crown prince.

‘Things happen’ – Trump defends Saudi crown prince over Khashoggi killing

In an industry where players are paid extraordinary amounts of money, Ronaldo’s pay deal with Saudi Arabia was astronomical. The footballer was reportedly paid $200m (£152m) a year – or more than half a million dollars a day.

Then in June this year, he signed a new two-year deal for a reported total of $400m (£300m) and became football’s first billionaire player, according to Bloomberg, with a net worth of $1.4bn.

That’s a lot of money for a 40-year-old footballer in the twilight of his career.

But, according to Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House, Saudi Arabia has “invested heavily in high profile events and individuals to put the kingdom on the map” in terms of sports and tourism in its quest for modernism.

Ronaldo has referred to bin Salman as “our boss” in an interview with broadcaster Piers Morgan.

Earlier this month, he appeared at a Ministry of Tourism event in Riyadh where he talked up the kingdom’s development projects and his hopes for the 2034 FIFA World Cup being held in Saudi Arabia.

Source: BBC