Iraq or the UAE are candidates to participate.. Iran is heading to withdraw from the World Cup

The 2026 World Cup faces a new challenge after statements made by the President of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, in Tehran, in which he hinted that his country’s national team’s participation in the finals hosted by the United States with Canada and Mexico seems unlikely in light of recent military developments.

The head of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, explained to the Spanish newspaper “Marca” that Iran is unlikely to participate in the upcoming World Cup finals in America, Canada and Mexico, after the strikes launched by America and Israel on the country.

The Iranian national team has guaranteed its qualification to the 2026 World Cup, where it is scheduled to play its three matches in the group stage on American soil, against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, then Belgium in the same city on the 21st, before concluding its confrontations against Egypt in Seattle on the 26th of the same month. However, Taj acknowledged that developments on the field make it difficult at the present time to speak with confidence about participation, indicating that the final decision rests with the competent sports authorities.\

On the other hand, if Iran withdraws, FIFA may move to include a team from the Asian continent, as Iraq and the Emirates stand out for participating in the major event, as the “Lions of Mesopotamia” has the advantage of having qualified for the final playoff for the qualifiers, which gives it the opportunity to qualify directly instead of Iran. As for the “Whites,” it came in third place behind the Iranian national team during the third stage of the qualifiers, which gives it the opportunity to qualify as the second-place finisher.