Khaberni - Media reports revealed that the 2026 World Cup might witness a stunning surprise regarding one of the participating seats, after the participation of the Iranian team in the tournament became doubtful due to the current regional circumstances in the area.
The British newspaper talkSPORT explained that if the Iranian team withdraws, FIFA will be forced to choose an alternative team to complete the list of teams participating in the upcoming edition of the tournament, which opens the field for widespread speculation about the identity of the team that might replace it.
It mentioned: "Iraq is one of the logical choices as the highest ranked team in Asia that has not yet qualified, along with the possibility of the UAE qualifying as it finished third in the group that included Iran and Japan, while there is talk of the potential entry of Italy, a four-time previous World Cup champion, if FIFA chooses to rely on a historic team to ensure the level of competition."
The Iranian team was in Group Seven alongside Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand. In the event of Iran withdrawing, FIFA will be forced to choose a substitute to complete the list of the 48 teams participating in the upcoming edition of the World Cup.
