FIFA is assessing contingency plans amid uncertainty over Iran’s participation in the 2026 World Cup, following escalating tensions between Tehran and tournament co-host, the United States.
Iran Football Federation President Mehdi Taj said the ongoing conflict could affect the country’s involvement in the competition. Speaking on IRIB Channel 3, Taj said senior sports authorities would soon decide whether the national team will take part.
“It’s not possible to say exactly, but there will certainly be a response,” Taj said. “This will surely be studied by the country’s high-ranking sports officials and there will be a decision on what’s going to happen.”
Iran secured qualification for a fourth consecutive World Cup after topping Group A in the third round of Asian qualifiers. The team has been drawn in Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand, with matches scheduled in Los Angeles and Seattle.
However, Taj suggested the current situation has cast doubt over participation. “Due to this attack and its viciousness, it is far from our expectations that we can look at the World Cup with hope,” he said.
Sports journalist Gary Al-Smith reported on social media platform X that a FIFA official indicated two possible replacement scenarios if Iran withdraws. According to the report, either Iraq — who could still qualify through a continental playoff — or the United Arab Emirates, which narrowly missed out on qualification, could take the slot.
Meanwhile, uncertainty also surrounds a protest lodged by the Nigeria Football Federation against the Democratic Republic of Congo over player eligibility in their World Cup playoff meeting in November. NFF officials say the delay in a decision is concerning, with the intercontinental playoff set to begin in about three weeks.
