2026 World Cup: Iran Caught Between the United States and FIFA

The fate of the Iranian national team in the 2026 World Cup is truly at a crossroads. The potential to withdraw from the grand football event is very much open as the "Team Melli" squad wishes to show solidarity with their fellow countrymen and their families amid the attacks by the United States-Israel coalition. However, withdrawing from the 2026 World Cup would put Iran at risk of facing a "tsunami" of sanctions from FIFA.

On the other hand, if they continue to compete in North America 2026, Mehdi Taremi and his teammates will face a difficult situation due to the potential of the team not arriving in full due to visa issues. Iran will also be uncomfortable performing in the US as they will receive tight security from US law enforcement.

From a political standpoint, Iran will face the potential of "defectors" within the Iranian squad who refuse to return to their homeland after competing. This refers to the incident involving seven players from the Iranian women's team who sought asylum from the Australian Government after participating in the Women's Asia Cup 2026 this March.

From Iran's perspective, withdrawing from the 2026 World Cup is a realistic decision. The preparation of Team Melli for the tournament that every footballer in the world dreams of has been significantly disrupted. The Iran Pro League has been halted since February 27. In fact, the domestic competition is the backbone for Coach Amir Ghalenoei in forming the squad.

During the qualification for the 2026 World Cup, approximately 65 to 70 percent of the Iranian squad's composition comes from the Iran Pro League. Additionally, several players from the Iranian national team are pursuing their careers in the United Arab Emirates. Similar to Iran, football activities in the UAE have also been disrupted due to the US-Israel attacks on Iran.

Pressure to withdraw from the 2026 World Cup is also evident from within the country. The majority of the Iranian people are outraged with the United States, which has caused the loss of more than 1,200 lives, including that of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on February 28. According to reports from the Iranian government as of March 11, 2026, approximately 12,000 Iranians have also been injured.

"Since the corrupt government (US) killed our leader, we have not had the situation to participate in the World Cup (2026)," said Iran's Minister of Sports Ahmad Donyamali in an interview on Iranian television, Wednesday (11/3/2026).

Iran has indeed confirmed its ability to reach the main round of the World Cup for four consecutive editions since Brazil 2014. This marks their longest consecutive World Cup qualification record. Prior to this, Iran had never appeared in several consecutive editions, such as Argentina 1978, France 1998, and Germany 2006.

Iran is placed in Group G of the 2026 World Cup alongside New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt. One of Asia's representatives will begin its competition on June 16 at 08:00 WIB against New Zealand. All of Iran's matches in the qualifying round will take place in the United States.

Iran's first two matches in the 2026 World Cup will take place at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, Los Angeles, USA. Iran's final match in the group stage will be held at Lumen Field, Seattle, USA. Iran also has the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona, USA, as their base during the 2026 World Cup.

"Our children are not safe. Essentially, that situation leaves us with no possibility to participate (in the World Cup)," said Donyamali.

He added, "The malicious actions they have taken against Iran have forced us to wage war for eight or nine months and have made hundreds of our families martyrs. We certainly have no desire to attend that (World Cup)."

Previously, the President of the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) Mehdi Taj had signaled to set aside preparations for the 2026 World Cup. They are fully focused on addressing the conditions within the country.

"If we face a situation like this ahead of the World Cup, who would still be thinking in their minds to send their national team to a place that is unfriendly to us?" said Taj.

As is known, five players from the Iranian women's national team and one official chose to seek asylum from the Australian Government after participating in the 2026 Women's Asian Cup in Australia. The granting of asylum by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was made after he received a call from Trump.

The US President considers the Australian Government to have committed a "terrible humanitarian mistake" after allowing the Iranian squad to return to their country following their elimination from the qualifying round on Monday (9/3/2026). Trump stated that upon returning to Iran, the players are likely to be killed.

"Some players had to return because of concerns about their families' safety, including threats against their families if they didn't return," Trump said on his Truth Social channel Wednesday.

Since the end of World War II, no team has ever withdrawn from the World Cup after qualifying for the main round and the draw for the qualifying round has taken place. This situation prompted FIFA President Gianni Infantino to specifically discuss the fate of Iran with U.S. President Donald Trump during their meeting on Wednesday.

Infantino emphasized that Iran will be welcomed at the 2026 World Cup. Trump also stated that he supports all teams being able to compete in the grand football event scheduled for June-July next year.

"During the discussion, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is welcome to compete in the U.S.," wrote Infantino in the caption of a post on his personal Instagram account.

"We need events like the World Cup to unite people more than ever. Sincerely, I thank the President of the United States for the support, as this once again shows that football unites the world," said Infantino.

If Iran remains resolute in its decision to withdraw from the 2026 World Cup, it will face significant financial penalties. This is stipulated in Article 6 of the FIFA Regulations for the 2026 World Cup regarding Withdrawal, Canceled Matches, Postponed Matches, and Substitutions.

Iran faces a fine ranging from 300,000 US dollars (Rp 5.06 billion) to 600,000 US dollars (Rp 10.12 billion). The calculation of the fine amount will increase as the resignation date approaches the opening match on June 11.

In addition, Iran is required to return all subsidy funds from FIFA for tournament preparations. They must also reimburse the contribution funds that FIFA has already provided to the 42 teams that have secured their places in North America 2026.

Not only fines, but the Melli team and FFIRI will also face a ban on competing in international matches and tournaments in the future. Iran is at risk of being excluded from international football activities, similar to what Russia has experienced since 2022.

In fact, Article 6.5 of the FIFA Regulations for the 2026 World Cup states the conditions under which participating countries must withdraw or matches cannot be held, namely in cases of emergency or force majeure.

Although Iran is currently facing a complex situation due to the US-Israel missile attacks, FIFA and Infantino indicated that it is not a state of emergency, referring to the statement made by the top official of FIFA following the meeting with Trump.

Previously, Iran had boycotted the draw for the qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup, scheduled for December 2025, due to the denial of visa applications for six of their delegates by the US Government.

The Iranian representative was also absent from the pre-tournament meeting for the 2026 World Cup in Atlanta last week. The agenda was attended by FIFA along with members of the federations that have qualified for the 23rd edition of the World Cup. (AFP/REUTERS)