The Iranian national team has won a ticket to the World Cup for the fourth consecutive time since March 2025 and according to the schedule, they are expected to play in the group stage in the US in June. They will meet New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, before facing Egypt in Seattle.
However, in an interview on Tehran national television, Iranian Football Federation President Mehdi Taj admitted that the situation is very complicated: "With what happened today and the attack from the US, it is very difficult to be optimistic about the possibility of participating in the World Cup. The final decision belongs to the sports managers.
On FIFA's side, Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom said that the organization is closely monitoring the developments and it is too early to make detailed comments. FIFA emphasized that the top priority is to ensure a safe World Cup, with the full participation of the teams that have qualified to participate.
In case Iran cannot participate, a replacement option is being considered. The UAE is considered a potential candidate, although it was ranked after Iraq in the qualifiers. Another scenario is that Iraq will directly replace Iran, while the UAE participates in the intercontinental play-off spot.
Escalating tensions between Iran and the US are pushing this country's football into an unprecedented situation, raising big questions about their presence at the biggest football festival on the planet.
