Will the US-Israeli attacks impact Iran’s participation in World Cup 2026?

EXPLAINERWill the US-Israeli attacks impact Iran’s participation in World Cup 2026?With World Cup cohost US and Iran engaged in conflict, Team Melli’s tournament participation is thrown into doubt.Iran's men's football team is ranked second in Asia and 20th in the world [File: Majid Asgaripour/Wana via Reuters]Published On 2 Mar 2026United States and Israeli attacks on Iran have cast doubt over the Iranian football team’s participation in the upcoming FIFA World Cup.Iran has responded to the attacks, which began on Saturday, by striking Israeli and US military bases in the Middle East with missiles and drones.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3UEFA and FIFA may get a red card at the ICC for ignoring Israeli violationslist 2 of 3FIFA’s Infantino plays down World Cup concerns despite violence in Mexicolist 3 of 3City vs Real Madrid and PSG vs Chelsea to headline Champions League last 16end of listAs of Monday morning, at least 555 people had been killed across Iran and 10 in Israel. Three US soldiers had been killed in action while 38 people had been killed in other nations across the region.The World Cup will be cohosted by Canada, Mexico and the US – where Iran is scheduled to play all its group games. But if there is no letup in the conflict, the tournament’s logistics and Iran’s role in it have come under question.Here’s what we know so far:When is the FIFA World Cup, and what’s Iran’s schedule in the tournament?The World Cup will begin on June 11 in Mexico while Canada and the US will host their first match the following day. The final will be played on July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, near New York.Iran is in Group G of the tournament with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand and is scheduled to play all of its games on the US West Coast.Here’s Team Melli’s group-stage schedule: June 15: Iran vs New Zealand at 9pm (05:00 GMT on June 16) at Los Angeles Stadium June 21: Belgium vs Iran at 3pm (23:00 GMT) at Los Angeles Stadium June 26: Egypt vs Iran at 11pm (07:00 GMT on June 27) at Seattle Stadium Will Iran play in the FIFA World Cup?While Iran has not officially pulled out of the tournament, a top Iranian football official has admitted the team’s participation has been thrown into question.“What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,” Mehdi Taj, president of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI), told local sports portal Varzesh3 on Sunday.“It’s not possible to say exactly, but there will certainly be a response,” Taj added when asked whether the FFIRI or the Iranian government would reconsider the country’s participation in the tournament.“This will surely be studied by the country’s high-ranking sports officials, and there will be a decision on what’s going to happen.”FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafstrom has said the world football governing body is monitoring the conflict and the situation emerging from it.“I read the news [about Iran] this morning the same way you did,” Grafstrom said at the International Football Association Board’s annual general meeting in Wales on Saturday, according to a report by ESPN.“We had a meeting today, and it is premature to comment in detail, but we will monitor developments around all issues around the world.”With the tournament a little more than three months away, FIFA said it will “continue to communicate with the host governments”.Will the Iranian team and fans be allowed in the US for the World Cup?While Iran’s games are scheduled at venues on the US West Coast, which is home to a sizeable Iranian community, Team Melli’s fans hoping to travel to the tournament from Iran and support their team will find it difficult.Iran was among the 12 countries that were included in US President Donald Trump’s travel ban imposed in June.The ban was met with criticism from Iran, which called it “racist” and a sign of deep-rooted hostility towards Iranians and Muslims.What happens if Iran does not participate in the World Cup?There is no precedent for a team withdrawing from the FIFA World Cup, which is deemed the biggest sporting event in the world.Teams that have been sanctioned and banned by global and regional football bodies have been excluded from the tournament with Russia’s ban the most recent.Should Iran pull out of the tournament, it would likely be replaced by another nation to ensure the smooth operation of the tournament.Because Iran is part of the Asian Football Confederation and qualified for one of the region’s berths for the World Cup, the replacement would likely come from Asia although organisers have not confirmed whether that would be the case.Based on their position at the end of the qualifying process, the United Arab Emirates could be the nation next in line. However, if Iraq, who are aiming to qualify via an intercontinental playoff, fail to book a place, they could pip the UAE as Iran’s replacement.Iran are currently ranked 20th in the world and second in Asia.They have appeared in the World Cup on seven occasions with consecutive appearances in the past three editions but have failed to move past the group stage.