Will Iran participate in World Cup 2026? It all points out that they won't, after the Iranian Minister of Sports said that "there are no conditions" for them to participate, calling out Trump's "corrupt government" which has "imposed two wars on us in eight or nine months and several thousand of our citizens have been killed".
However, as of Monday, March 16, the Iranian football federation has not informed Asian Football Confederation (AFC) their withdrawal from the upcoming FIFA tournament, to be played between June and July 2026 in the US, Mexico and Canada. Iran is one of the 48 countries qualified, fourth time in a row they participate (although they have never passed beyond the group stage).
"It's a very emotional moment. Everybody's saying a lot of things," AFC General Secretary Windsor John told reporters in Kuala Lumpur (via Reuters). "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."
AFC remains hopeful that they can "solver their issues, whatever it is", and participate in the competition. If they withdraw, they will face severe sanctions from FIFA, ranging from monetary fines to sporting sanctions, depending on the timing of their withdrawal.