AFC Awaits Iran's Decision on World Cup 2026 Withdrawal
Iran's participation in the 2026 World Cup is still uncertain, with the AFC awaiting confirmation from the Iranian federation. Iran has qualified for the 2026 World Cup, but its participation is being questioned due to regional conflict and safety concerns.
Iran's sports minister confirms withdrawal from 2026 FIFA World Cup due to safety concerns and conflict with US and Israel...
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has stated that it hasn't received any official notification from Iran about withdrawing from the 2026 World Cup. Iran has qualified for the tournament, which will be held in the US, Canada, and Mexico from June 11.
Iran is scheduled to play its group matches in Los Angeles and Seattle, with fixtures against New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt. The AFC general secretary, Windsor John, emphasized that the decision to participate ultimately lies with the Iranian federation, which has confirmed they will attend the World Cup.
Iran's sports minister, Ahmad Donyamali, stated that the country's players cannot participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup due to the U.S. and Israel's airstrikes on Tehran, which killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Donyamali emphasized that Iran's safety is a concern, saying “our children are not safe” and “such conditions for participation do not exist.”
U.S. President Donald Trump expressed a similar sentiment, stating that Iran is welcome to participate in the World Cup, but it's not “appropriate” for them to be there due to safety concerns. Trump wrote on Truth Social, “The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don't believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety.”
“It's a very emotional moment. Everybody's saying a lot of things,” AFC General Secretary Windsor John told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.
“At the end of the day, it's the federation who should decide if they're playing, and as of today, the federation has told us that they are going to the World Cup.
“They are our member, we want them to play. You know, they qualified ... so we hope that they will solve their issues, whatever it is, and be able to participate.”
🇮🇷🏆 COULD IRAN PLAY THE WORLD CUP IN MEXICO? 🇲🇽
— NextMex (@NextMexOficial) March 15, 2026
The Iranian sports minister revealed there’s a possibility of moving their matches to Mexico 🏟️
“We will study the proposal to move the matches to Mexico with FIFA” ✈️
The idea first came from the Iranian embassy in Mexico a few… pic.twitter.com/Fths0fJpNU
Iran's potential withdrawal from the 2026 FIFA World Cup would be a historic first in the modern era, leaving FIFA with the urgent task of finding a replacement team. The tournament is scheduled to run from June 11 to July 19, 2026, in the US, Canada, and Mexico.
FIFA's regulations grant the governing body “sole discretion” to select a replacement team, considering factors like geographical merit, global ranking, and commercial appeal. Possible contenders to replace Iran include Iraq, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Italy, with Iraq being the frontrunner due to its strong performance in Asian qualifiers.
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