AFC says Iran will still play in 2026 World Cup despite rumors of withdrawal | US-Israel war over Iran news

The Asian Football Confederation has said there has been no indication that Iran will withdraw from the upcoming World Cup.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has said it has not received any notification from Iran to withdraw its national football team from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Iran has qualified for the 48-team tournament, which begins on June 11 in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and is scheduled to play two group matches in Los Angeles and one in Seattle.

Iran’s sports minister has said it will be impossible for players to participate in the tournament after a US air strike with Israel killed Iran’s supreme leader.

US President Donald Trump said last week that Iran was welcome to attend the World Cup but he believed it was not appropriate for them to be there “for their own lives and safety”.

“It’s a very emotional moment. Everyone is saying a lot of things,” AFC general secretary Windsor John told reporters in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.

“At the end of the day, the federation has to decide if he is playing and as of today, the federation has told us that he is going to the World Cup.

“They’re our members. We want them to play. You know, they’re qualified, … so we hope they solve their problems, whatever it is, and be able to participate.”

Iran’s official withdrawal from football’s global showpiece is the first in the modern era and leaves FIFA with the urgent task of finding a replacement.

It is unclear whether FIFA will have time to replace Iran if it decides to pull out of the 2026 tournament. One option is to select the highest-ranked team in Asia that did not enter the tournament.

Iran’s Group G can also be played with three teams instead of four with special rules.

The tournament runs till July 19.