&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "FIFA World Cup 2026 | 'Unlikely to look forward:' Iran's participation in doubt after US-Israel attacks")
The US and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday (Feb 28), killing the Middle Eastern country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. The attack has put Iran's particiaption in upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 in doubt. The tournament, co-hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico, is scheduled to be played from Jun 11 to Jul 19. Iran has qualified for the quadrennial tournament through Asian qualifiers but amid the current situation, it is not confirmed if the Shia-muslim majority country will take part in the tournament. Iran's matches in the FIFA World Cup are against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, then Egypt in Seattle - both the venues being in the USA. The two countries last played in the FIFA World Cup in 2022 in Qatar.
Will Iran play in the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026?
The coutnry, ever since the attack by the USA and Israel, has been facing constant strikes. Iran has also retaliated by launching missiles at various US bases across middle east - in UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, etc. The ongoing conflict has given the flame to already tense relations between Iran and the US - putting their World Cup participation in doubt.
"With what happened... and with that attack by the United States, it is unlikely that we can look forward to the World Cup, but the sports chiefs are the ones who must decide on that," said Mehdi Taj, head of Iran's football federation, to Iranian media as reported by the BBC.
With Supreme Leader Khamenei dead, there's no clarity over Iran's political system will work to ensure the FIFA World Cup participation, that is, if the country decides to send the team to the USA - which looks highly unlikely as of now.
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What happens if Iran does not participate in FIFA World Cup 2026?
In case Iran decides not to participate in the FIFA World Cup 2026, Iraq, which failed to qualify for the tournament, might get a bump for a place in the tournament. With the whole picture being blurred amid the smoke rising because of bomb explosions in various countries including Iran, there's nothing to do but wait and watch for the developments on Iran's participation.
