The future of the Iran National Team in the 2026 World Cup is under threat following the armed conflict with the United States.

m88worldcups.com – The United States and Israel launched an attack against Iran on Saturday, February 28, which resulted in the death of the country’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.

The incident has created uncertainty regarding Iran’s participation in the 2026 World Cup.

The tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19.

Iran had previously secured qualification for the four-year tournament through the Asian qualifying zone.

However, under the current circumstances, there is no certainty whether the country with a majority Shia Muslim population will take part.

According to the established schedule, Iran is set to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, followed by a match against Egypt in Seattle, with all of these matches taking place within the territory of the United States. The two nations last met at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Will Iran Compete in the 2026 World Cup?

Since the attack by the United States and Israel, Iran has continued to face further strikes. On the other hand, Iran has also carried out retaliatory attacks by launching missiles at various United States military bases in the Middle East region, including in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Bahrain.

The ongoing conflict has further worsened the previously tense relations between Iran and the United States, thereby raising doubts regarding Iran’s participation in the World Cup.

The chairman of the Iranian football federation, Mehdi Taj, told Iranian media as quoted by BBC that with what has occurred and the attack from the United States, it is unlikely that his country can look ahead to participating in the World Cup. However, he emphasized that the final decision rests in the hands of the sports authorities.

With the death of Ayatollah Khamenei, there is still no clarity regarding how Iran’s political system will function in ensuring participation in the World Cup, if the country decides to send its team to the United States, which at present is considered highly unlikely.

What Happens If Iran Does Not Participate?

If Iran decides not to take part in the 2026 World Cup, then Iraq, which previously failed to qualify for the tournament, could potentially have the opportunity to fill the vacant spot.

With the situation still unclear amid the armed conflict and explosions occurring in various countries including Iran, there is currently no other course of action except to wait for further developments regarding the certainty of Iran’s participation.