The President of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, announced that the participation of the Iranian national team in the 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, has become "highly unlikely".
In statements broadcast on Iranian state television, Mehdi Taj emphasized the difficulties for the "Team Melli" in traveling to American territories, describing the possibility of participation as having become "unlikely", in light of the recent military escalation between Tehran on one side, and Tel Aviv and Washington on the other.
The head of the federation said, "Based on what happened today and with that attack launched by the United States, it is unlikely that we look forward to participating in the World Cup, but the final decision is up to the sports authorities (higher authorities) to decide on this matter."
Three Main Dimensions Outlining the Crisis:
1. The Security Quagmire and Airspace: The increased regional tension has overshadowed the sports agenda.
2. Visa Complexities and Diplomatic Hostility: Iran’s participation in tournaments held on American soil has always been a logistical and security challenge. With the recent military escalation, the Iranian side views the travel of its mission to the United States as "politically and security impossible", waiting for a final decision from the "sovereign authorities" in Tehran.
3. The Challenge Facing FIFA: The International Football Federation finds itself before a major dilemma; Iran's withdrawal or exclusion may require the summoning of an alternative team at short notice, and it puts FIFA under the pressure of balancing "the separation of sports from politics" with the explosive security reality that threatens the safety of sports delegations.
Iran is supposed to play its three group-stage matches in the seventh group on American soil as follows:
- Against New Zealand on June 15 (Los Angeles).
- Against Belgium on June 21 (Los Angeles).
- Against Egypt on June 26 (Seattle).
Mehdi Taj also confirmed the suspension of the local league until further notice, a decision that directly affects professional players, including the Spaniard Antonio Adan and the Moroccan Munir El Haddadi (both in Esteghlal Tehran, one of the country's largest clubs), and former Real Valladolid player Ivan Sanchez, who plays for Sepahan Isfahan.
The Spanish newspaper reports that player Adan is currently in Madrid, while Sanchez and El Haddadi have left Iranian territories by land.
