Iran's participation in the 2026 World Cup is uncertain due to the conflict and Trump's removal
Iran's participation in the 2026 World Cup is uncertain due to the conflict and Trump's removal
Iran may be forced to withdraw from the football World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada since US President Donald Trump has stated that he does not care if Iran plays.
Iran's participation in the FIFA World Cup 2026, which is less than 100 days away, has emerged as a major talking point among the many implications of the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East.
From June 11 to July 19, Canada, Mexico, and the United States will co-host the international athletic event. Iran is one of the 48 countries that are anticipated to go to North America at least one week before the opening match.
Iran's participation in the World Cup is of no concern to US President Donald Trump.
"I consider Iran to be a severely defeated nation. On Tuesday, Trump told the American news website Politico, "They are running on fumes."
Attacks on Iran by the US and Israel on Saturday resulted in the deaths of at least 1,045 individuals, including Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and created a regional confrontation that now spans 12 nations.
In response, Tehran launched waves of missiles and drones against Israel as well as at a number of US military installations in the Middle East.
Iran's participation in the World Cup has been questioned in the wake of the escalations, and representatives from FIFA and the Iranian Football Federation have not committed to the 20th-ranked football nation's attendance.
Mehdi Taj, head of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI), told the local sports blog Varzesh3 on Sunday, "We cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope after this attack."
Unexplored territory
Due to an armed confrontation between a participant and one of the host countries, a prominent specialist on sports and geopolitics says that Iran's participation in the tournament is seriously doubtful.
According to Simon Chadwick, an Afro-Eurasian sport professor at Shanghai's Emlyon Business School, "the diplomatic answer [will be] that Iran itself just steps aside and withdraws from the competition," he told Al Jazeera.
According to Chadwick, it is "very difficult" to imagine the US permitting officials, players, and backstage personnel to enter the nation.
"Iranian players, officials, and medics—who typically accompany teams to competitions—will not be welcomed by the United States.
"I find it improbable that they will be there, given that they [Iran] will have to play their games in the United States."
Iran would consider "quite long and hard before walking away," according to Chadwick, so departure will not be an easy option despite the logistical maze and its improbable speedy resolution.
Argentina's withdrawal from the FIFA World Cup in 1950, citing disputes with the Brazilian Football Confederation, was the last occasion a team did so for political reasons.
"This is unfamiliar area," Chadwick said.
The Olympic Games, which had widespread boycotts in 1980 and 1984 during the Cold War, are often associated with boycotts and nations abstaining from major sporting events.
"That usually does not happen at World Cups."
Chadwick, who has authored multiple books on the politics and business of sports, thinks withdrawal will have both financial and political repercussions.
"On the one hand, there are reasons for a country to either withdraw or be banned, and we are living in very complex and sensitive times," he stated.
However, the financial ramifications of unilaterally withdrawing from what is perhaps the biggest sporting event in the world are an act of self-harm, and we are [also] living in extremely commercial times. Additionally, we do not sure how FIFA would respond if a country unilaterally withdrew its qualifying spot.
