War after US-Israeli strikes on Iran has cast doubt over Iran’s participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With Group G fixtures set in the United States, officials hint at a boycott while FIFA monitors the fast-changing situation.
The war in the Middle East triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran has suddenly raised a question that football fans — and officials — did not expect just months before the tournament: will Iran still take part in the 2026 World Cup?
With exactly 100 days to go before the competition begins, uncertainty is growing around the future of Iran’s national team, popularly known as “Team Melli”.
Iran Signals Uncertainty Over World Cup Participation
In Iran, the idea of boycotting the tournament has already been discussed publicly. The possibility surfaced shortly after the conflict began.
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Mehdi Taj, president of the Iranian Football Federation, struck a sombre tone while speaking on Iranian television.
“What is certain at the present time is that with this attack and this cruelty, we cannot look forward to the World Cup with hope.”
Taj also confirmed that Iran’s domestic football league has been suspended amid the escalating crisis.
Despite the current uncertainty, Iran had already secured qualification in March last year — marking their seventh appearance at the tournament and their fourth consecutive World Cup.
A Difficult Tournament Setting for Iran
Iran have been placed in Group G of the 2026 tournament alongside Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand.
Two of Iran’s scheduled matches are set to take place in Los Angeles, while the third will be played in Seattle in the United States — a factor that adds another layer of political and emotional complexity given the current conflict.
Los Angeles is home to one of the largest Iranian diaspora communities outside Iran, many of whom left the country following the 1979 Islamic Revolution. A significant portion of that community historically supported the Pahlavi dynasty that was overthrown during the revolution.
FIFA, Watching the Situation Closely
For now, world football’s governing body, FIFA, is taking a cautious approach.
FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom said discussions have begun internally but that it is still too early to make any conclusions.
“We had a meeting... and it is premature to comment in detail, but we will monitor developments around all issues around the world.”
According to a source close to FIFA, there have not yet been any formal discussions with the Iranian Football Federation about a potential withdrawal.
The situation could become particularly delicate for FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who has been keen to emphasise his close relationship with US President Donald Trump.
Complicating matters further, the regional conflict has spread beyond Iran. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan — all countries from the region connected to the broader geopolitical tensions — have reportedly been targeted by retaliatory Iranian strikes, raising concerns about wider instability during the tournament build-up.
What FIFA Rules Say About a Withdrawal
FIFA regulations do not directly address a boycott by a team that has already qualified for the World Cup.
However, Article 6 of the tournament regulations provides guidance for unexpected situations.
It states that if a participating member association withdraws from the competition due to force majeure, FIFA “shall decide on the matter at its sole discretion and take whatever action is deemed necessary.”
In practical terms, that means FIFA could choose to replace Iran with another national team if a withdrawal were to happen.
Given the tournament’s expanded format — the first World Cup featuring 48 teams — Asia already has eight qualified teams. A ninth could still join depending on the outcome of an intercontinental play-off involving Iraq against either Bolivia or Suriname later this month.
If Iran were to pull out, another Asian nation could logically be selected as a replacement.
Has Anything Like This Happened Before?
A full boycott of the FIFA World Cup by a qualified team has never occurred in the modern era.
However, similar political disruptions have affected major sporting events in the past.
The Olympics saw major boycotts during the Cold War, notably at the Moscow Games in 1980 and the Los Angeles Games in 1984.
In football, there have been rare precedents involving late withdrawals. Several teams pulled out of the 1950 World Cup — though mainly due to financial or logistical reasons.
One of the closest parallels came before the 1992 European Championship. Yugoslavia had qualified but was removed following the outbreak of war in the Balkans. UEFA replaced them with Denmark, who had finished second in the qualifying group. Denmark went on to win the tournament.
More recently, Russian teams have been suspended from international competitions by FIFA and UEFA following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
A Decision That May Come Down to Events on the Ground
For now, Iran remains officially qualified and scheduled to play in the tournament. But the coming weeks could prove decisive.
With conflict continuing in the region and tensions escalating internationally, the fate of Team Melli at the 2026 World Cup may ultimately depend less on football — and more on geopolitics.
