League Suspended by Security Order; IRGC Counts on World Cup for War

April 22, 2026

4 min read

For now, Iranian football remains stuck in uncertainty, caught between internal contradictions within the government and security-driven calculations linked to the global event in the United States.

(Senior officials of the three branches in the Supreme National Security Council) IranWire has learned from informed sources that the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have fully taken over decision-making authority regarding Iran’s Premier League from the Football Federation and have prevented the competitions from being held until after the World Cup.

(Spain fans at the Russia World Cup) An informed source told IranWire that the Football Federation’s board was informed by the IRGC Intelligence Organization that the United States will definitely halt the war before the World Cup begins. According to this source, the IRGC’s intelligence body believes that the U.S. government does not have the capacity to simultaneously manage a war in the Middle East and the security threats associated with hosting the World Cup on its own soil.

(U.S. fighter jet on the USS Abraham Lincoln) It appears that the Islamic Republic’s security institutions, alongside monitoring political negotiations and military pressures, are also treating the United States’ hosting of the World Cup as a determining factor in the dynamics of the conflict with the U.S.

(Mehdi Taj visiting Azadi Stadium) Mehdi Taj, the president of the Football Federation, has said that the league will resume after the World Cup. However, he has not announced any exact or even approximate timeline for its restart; federation officials say “after the World Cup,” but do not specify any date.

Mehdi Taj, President of the Football Federation, said the remaining matches of the league season will be played after the World Cup. However, he did not give any clear or even rough timeline for when it will resume. Officials within the federation continue to say “after the World Cup,” but without committing to any specific date.

Iranian football is now entering one of its most uncertain phases. The Premier League has been halted mid-season with no clarity on when it will restart. At the same time, there is growing uncertainty within the government over whether the Islamic Republic’s national team will even be sent to the World Cup in the United States.

According to sources cited by IranWire, the “Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic” and the “Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)” have taken full control of decisions related to the Iranian Premier League, removing authority from the Football Federation and stopping matches until after the World Cup.

One informed source said IRGC Intelligence told federation officials that the United States would end the war before the World Cup begins. The same source added that IRGC Intelligence believes the U.S. government “lacks the capacity to simultaneously manage a war in the Middle East and the security threats associated with hosting the World Cup on its own soil.” This suggests that the country’s security establishment sees the World Cup in the U.S. as a key factor in the broader war equation, placing it on par with military pressure and political negotiations.

IranWire also reports that earlier plans to continue the Premier League before the 2026 World Cup have now been blocked. These plans had been pushed by the Iranian Football League Organization and supported by Mehdi Taj, who had proposed holding matches in a centralized format.

Before the ceasefire, Taj had said matches could be held in cities like Tehran and Kerman to bring stability to the season and help prepare players for national team duties.

That proposal is now effectively stalled. Decisions about whether the league will resume remain above the Football Federation, leaving officials unable to move forward with any plan.

Contradictory Positions: From Supporting the Team to Opposing World Cup Participation

On April 21, Mehdi Taj spoke about organizing training camps for the national team ahead of the World Cup. Around the same time, Ahmad Donyamali, the Minister of Sport and Youth, publicly took the opposite stance, saying, “In my personal position, I am definitely opposed to our national team’s participation in the World Cup.”

Under FIFA rules, a qualified team that withdraws close to the tournament faces heavy financial penalties and could be banned from the next one or two editions. FIFA regulations also clearly prohibit government interference in football matters. This means that if withdrawal happens due to state decisions, “Iranian football as a whole” could face suspension.

A source within the Football Federation told IranWire that the conflicting statements are not part of a “political maneuver” or a “media game,” but reflect the limited authority of both the ministry and the federation. The source said that decisions about the league and the World Cup are being made by the IRGC and the Supreme National Security Council, with sports bodies having little to no role.

League Suspension Amid War: From Week 22 to Total Closure

On February 28, 2026, as military conflict between the U.S.-Israeli coalition and the Islamic Republic began, the Iranian Premier League was suspended midway through its 22nd week. The shutdown came at a crucial point in the season, when league results were determining Asian competition slots and helping prepare players for the national team.

The effects of this long break have already been seen. In April, the national team’s friendly against Nigeria and Tractor’s match against Shabab Al-Ahli in the Asian Elite League showed a clear drop in players’ fitness and performance levels.

Is the IRGC Waiting for the World Cup?

Information obtained by IranWire indicates that decisions about both the league and the national team’s participation in the World Cup are no longer in the hands of sports authorities. According to sources, the security establishment is treating the World Cup as a major strategic factor in managing the war, “counting on these games” in a way similar to political negotiations.

For now, Iranian football remains stuck in uncertainty, caught between government infighting and security-driven calculations linked to the global event in the United States.