March 2 – The head of Iranian football has left Iran’s participation in the World Cup in the United States open after the 2026 co-host and Israel attacked the Persian country.
“What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,” Mehdi Taj told sports portal Varzesh3.
On Saturday, the US and Israel launched an attack on Iran that took out Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other leaders of the Islamic Republic, throwing the future of the country into further turmoil. Iran retaliated with strikes on Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain.
It has now hit at least six US military facilities and well as UK bases in the region. Three US troops were killed at a base in Kuwait. Nine people were killed in Israel, five people in the United Arab Emirates and four people in Syria, according to official reports.
At least 115 people, most of them likely children, were killed at a girl’s elementary school in southern Iran, according to state media.
Elsewhere the attacks have triggered Israeli stikes on Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon in response to projectiles launched from Lebanon into Israel.
The security instability has forced passenger airline traffic in the region to closed down and raised doubts over whether UEFA’s Finalissima scheduled for the end of the month in Qatar will be played.
Iran’s women open their campaign in the Women’s Asian Cup in Australia tonight, while the 2026 World Cup fate of their men seemingly lies in the balance.
Drawn in Group G at the World Cup, to be played in the US, Iran are scheduled to meet both Belgium and New Zealand in Los Angeles, and Egypt in Seattle.
The United States is one of three hosts of the super-sized tournament. Donald Trump’s US administration has already barred Iranian fans from entering the country as part of a wider travel ban. In December, FIFA boss Gianni Infantino awarded Trump with the organisation’s inaugural peace prize, though less than three months later peace seems to be nowhere on Trump’s agenda.
On Saturday, on the sidelines of the IFAB meeting, FIFA general secretary Mattias Grafstrom said that FIFA was monitoring the situation.
“I read the news [about Iran] this morning the same way you did,” Grafstrom said at the International Football Association Board’s annual general meeting in Cardiff, Wales, on Saturday.
“We had a meeting today and it is premature to comment in detail, but we will monitor developments around all issues around the world.
“We had the finals draw in Washington in which all teams participated, and our focus is on a safe World Cup with all the teams participating.
“We will continue to communicate as we always do with three [host] governments as we always do in any case. Everybody will be safe.”
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1772440125labto1772440125ofdlr1772440125owedi1772440125sni@i1772440125tnuk.1772440125ardni1772440125mas1772440125
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