Asian Football Confederation: The Iranians did not inform us of their withdrawal from the World Cup
Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Secretary General Windsor John clarified that the Iranian Football Federation has not informed them of its 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. He pointed out that the decision to participate or not rests with the national federation itself, noting that Iran remains a member of the continental federation and a candidate to participate in the World Cup. He expressed his hope that the existing disputes will be resolved so that the team can compete. US President Donald Trump welcomed the Iranian national team's participation in the World Cup, while official statements from 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 led to an escalation of the regional conflict.
The Secretary-General of the Asian Football Confederation, Windsor John, clarified that the Iranian federation has not informed them of its 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. He pointed out that the decision to participate or not is up to the national federation itself, noting that Iran is still a member of the continental federation and is eligible to participate in the World Cup. He expressed hope that the existing disputes would be resolved so that the team could compete. US President Donald Trump welcomed the Iranian national team's participation in the World Cup, while official statements from the Iranian Minister of Youth and Sports indicated that the Iranian team is “unable to participate” in the tournament due to the ongoing war, especially after the airstrikes carried out by the United States and Israel on Iran, which have escalated the regional conflict.
