Khaberni - Windsor John, the General Secretary of the Asian Football Confederation, clarified that the Iranian Federation did not inform them of their desire to withdraw from the World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026, pointing out that the decision to participate or not is up to the national federation itself.
He also mentioned that Iran is still a member of the continental confederation and is nominated to participate in the World Cup, expressing hope that the existing disputes will be resolved so that the team can compete. Meanwhile, the American President Donald Trump welcomed the participation of the Iranian team in the World Cup, whereas official statements by the Iranian Minister of Youth and Sports indicated that the Iranian national team is "unable to participate" in the tournament due to the ongoing war, especially after the airstrikes launched by the United States and Israel on Iran, which escalated the regional conflict.
