ABNA24 - On February 28, 2026, U.S. aircraft bombed the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab, Iran, killing at least 110 children and 168 people in total, including teachers and parent. Human Rights Watch concluded the attack was a war crime, and witness accounts confirm it was carried out with double-tap strikes , violating the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution.
That was not the end. Since that day, U.S. airstrikes have continued every single day across Iran, hitting schools, hospitals, homes, as well as football stadiums and sports facilities. The Azadi Stadium, Iran’s largest and most famous stadium, and a sports hall in Lamerd City, has been targeted, and it’s heartbreaking that innocent children were killed just while playing. Today, at least 310 children have been killed, and over 800 civilians. The bombs are still falling over civilians even now while you are reading this petition.
Now, the same country that committed these atrocities is preparing to host the 2026 World Cup. The majority of matches (including the final) are going to be held in American states. This is an obvious insult to all victims, their families, and the values of football, and it stands in direct contradiction to FIFA’s own spirit of peace and unity.
On March 12, 2026, President Trump posted on Truth Social: “The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome… but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety”.
This contradicts FIFA’s security guarantees. A country whose leader publicly admits he cannot guarantee the safety of participating athletes has no right to host a global tournament.
In these circumstances, FIFA has remained shamefully silent. FIFA has the legal duty under its own statutes and the World Cup regulations to protect the integrity of the tournament and ensure the safety of all participants. FIFA has the legal power under Article 15 to cancel or relocate matches.
Yet toward the United States which is actively at war with Iran (a FIFA member and World Cup 2026 participant) FIFA has remained silent. It has not condemned the Minab school massacre or the destruction of Iranian sports facilities.
The worse is, just a few months ago, FIFA President Infantino awarded Donald Trump a symbolic “FIFA Peace Medal”.
That award is now a stain on FIFA’s reputation. This double standard undermines FIFA’s credibility. FIFA cannot claim to stand for peace and human rights while remaining silent on war crimes committed by a World Cup host.
We demand that the United States be stripped of its hosting role entirely. The World Cup must be relocated to Canada and Mexico, or to any other country willing to uphold the values of fairness and humanity.
FIFA must stop whitewashing war crimes. FIFA must get itself away from the disgrace of supporting a war criminal. The innocent students of Minab who were killed by the U.S deserve the justice. Many of them loved football and dreamed of watching the World Cup and cheering for their country.
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