Eritrea national team will not play in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers as players may flee to other countries

The Eritrean national team has refused to participate in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. This was reported by The Guardian.

According to the source, this decision is due to the fact that the country's authorities are afraid of the players' escape, as the players may seek political asylum from the repressive regime of Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki in other countries when travelling to away matches.

On 16 November, Eritrea was due to play the opening qualifying match against Morocco, but this match was cancelled.

The Eritrean National Football Federation (ENFF) has not commented on the decision.