&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Who will replace Iran at FIFA World Cup after country’s sports minister’s ‘cannot participate’ claim?")
Iran has opted to withdraw from the forthcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 after the US killed its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s sports minister, Ahmad Donyamali said. Speaking on the state television on Wednesday (Mar 11), Donyamali said, “Considering that this corrupt regime [the US] has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup.” The US will co-host the FIFA World Cup in June, alongside Mexico and Canada, but all of Iran’s group games are scheduled in US cities, including Los Angeles and Seattle.
Although FIFA has yet to confirm Iran’s withdrawal from the competition, should it happen in the worst-case scenario, who will replace them?
Iran is placed in Group G alongside New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt, and should they pull out of the tournament amid escalating tensions across West Asia, where they are involved in a war with America and Israel, a team from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will replace them, most likely either Iraq or the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
As the highest-ranked Asian team yet to qualify, Iraq is the frontrunner to replace Iran, should they miss out via the inter-confederation play-offs. Currently, Iraq is set to face either Bolivia or Suriname in the play-off final on March 31.
Meanwhile, the US and Israel have bombarded Tehran since February 28, killing over 1200 people and wounding over 12,000 in the past 12 days. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones at Israel and several military bases in the Gulf, where US forces operate and have their infrastructure built in the region.
“Our children are not safe and, fundamentally, such conditions for participation do not exist,” Donyamali said. “Given the malicious actions they have carried out against Iran, they have forced two wars on us over eight or nine months and have killed and martyred thousands of our people. Therefore, we certainly cannot have such a presence.”
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On the other hand, Iran’s football body’s president, Mehdi Taj, also shared similar sentiments earlier.
“After this attack [on Iran], we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,” Mehdi Taj, president of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI), said on March 1. “If the World Cup is like this, who in their right mind would send their national team to a place like this?” Taj asked on Iranian state television.
'US will welcome Iran's participation'
Earlier, after discussions with US President Donald Trump, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that the US will welcome Iran’s participation in the 48-team tournament.
“During the discussions, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,” Infantino wrote on his Instagram post.
