KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 - The Asian Football Confederation confirmed it has received no official withdrawal notice from Iran ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Iran, qualified for the expanded 48-team tournament, is scheduled to play group-stage matches in Los Angeles and Seattle.
The Iranian sports minister cited recent U.S.-Israel airstrikes on Tehran-resulting in the death of the supreme leader-as making player participation impossible. U.S. President Donald Trump stated Iran was welcome to compete but questioned their safety.
"It's a very emotional moment," said AFC General Secretary Windsor John. "But as of today, the federation has told us they are going. They qualified. We want them to play."
An official withdrawal would mark the first in modern World Cup history, forcing FIFA to find a replacement.
The tournament runs June 11 to July 19 across North America.