Iran's men's national football team made an emotional tribute to the children killed in a recent school bombing in Minab.

In a statement Thursday that did not mention Iran, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said soccer has a key role to "promote peace.

Iran will "boycott the United States" but "not the World Cup", Iranian football federation president Mehdi Taj said in a video.

The Iranian women's football team, whose plight has become embroiled in the Middle East war, returned back to Iran on Wednesday where they were promised a welcome ceremony in Tehran.

Iran's national women's soccer team has returned to the Islamic Republic after several of the players sought asylum in Australia, Iranian media reported Wednesday.

Iran's participation at this summer's finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico has been in doubt since the war began last month.

Iran's participation in the FIFA World Cup 2026 is uncertain as the country's football federation are in talks with FIFA to move its scheduled matches in the United States to Mexico due to rising security concerns.

A leading soccer official in Asia says Iran is still set to play at the World Cup which kicks off in June in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

US President Donald Trump's comments came just two days after he told FIFA chief Gianni Infantino the Iranian players would be welcome despite the Middle East war.

The current round of conflict between Israel and the United States on one side and Iran on the other started on February 28.

Australia granted asylum to five members of the Iranian women's soccer team who were visiting the country for a tournament when the Iran war began, a government minister said Tuesday.

Australia has granted asylum to five members of the Iranian women's football team who were visiting the country for a tournament, Australia's Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said on Tuesday

The Iran women's soccer team sang and saluted as its national anthem played ahead of the Women's Asian Cup contest against Australia on Thursday.

The Iran women's soccer team sang and saluted as its national anthem played ahead of the Women's Asian Cup contest against Australia on Thursday, a contrast to the silence before its opening game.

Donald Trump said "I really don't care" if Iran fails to participate in the FIFA World Cup, which begins in about a 100 days' time.

The Iranian team are preparing to face host nation Australia on the Gold Coast Thursday after losing their opening game of the continental competition 3-0 to South Korea.

The Iranian women's national soccer team made a silent protest during the opening match of the Women's Asian Cup, as they refused to sing their national anthem, which was played over the speakers at Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast.

With just over 100 days until the 2026 World Cup kicks off in the United States, Iran's place in the tournament has been thrown into uncertainty following US military strikes carried out alongside Israel.