Conflict with US threatens Iran’s participation in 2026 World Cup

Team Melli’s status in the 2026 World Cup hangs in uncertainty — a consequence of the ongoing military conflict between Iran and the United States.

The Iranian national team had actually secured their final round ticket after completing matchday 8 of the Asian zone qualifiers three months ago, following Japan’s National Team who qualified earlier.

The political situation threatens Iran’s participation in next year’s tournament — after President Donald Trump involved the US in the Iran-Israel conflict by attacking Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran retaliated by striking a US military base in Qatar.

FIFA now faces a major dilemma regarding Iran’s status — considering the country is blacklisted from entering the US as one of the 2026 World Cup hosts.