The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said it has not received any notification from Iran that its national football team will withdraw from the 2026 World Cup.
Iran has qualified for the 48-team tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico on June 11 and is scheduled to play two group matches in Los Angeles and one in Seattle.
advertise
Iran’s sports minister said it would be impossible for players to compete after a US-Israeli airstrike killed Iran’s supreme leader.
U.S. President Donald Trump said last week Iran is welcome to participate to participate in the World Cup, but he believed it was inappropriate for them to participate in the World Cup “for their own lives and safety”.
“It’s a very exciting moment. Everyone has a lot to say,” AFC general secretary Windsor John told reporters in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.
“At the end of the day it’s up to the Football Association to decide whether they play or not and as of today they have told us they will play in the World Cup.
advertise
“They’re our members. We want them to compete. You know, they’re eligible…so we want them to be able to work through their issues, whatever they are, and be able to participate.”
Iran’s formal withdrawal from football’s global competition would be the first time in modern history, leaving FIFA with the urgent task of finding a replacement.
It is unclear whether FIFA will have time to replace Iran if they decide to withdraw from the 2026 World Cup. One option might be to select the highest-ranked team in Asia that did not make it to the tournament.
Iran’s Group G could also use special rules to play with three teams instead of four.
The competition will last until July 19th.