Irony of Iran! Was to play at FIFA World Cup in LA, now Tehran may kickoff World War

With just over three months to go before the FIFA World Cup 2026 begins, uncertainty surrounds Iran’s participation as tensions escalate between Tehran and Washington.

The expanded 48-team tournament kicks off on June 11 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Iran are scheduled to play all three of their group-stage matches in the US (two in California’s Inglewood and one in Seattle) between June 15 and 26. But recent military action has cast a shadow over those fixtures.

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Coordinated strikes by the US and Israel since February 28 led to the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior officials. Iran retaliated with missile attacks targeting US allies, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain.

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It remains unclear whether Iran’s state-backed football federation could withdraw voluntarily or whether US authorities might block their entry. FIFA has not issued a fresh statement, beyond saying it is monitoring developments. Andrew Giuliani, overseeing World Cup preparations for the White House, posted on social media: “We’ll deal with soccer games tomorrow… tonight, we celebrate their opportunity for freedom.”

Iran are ranked 20th in the world and have qualified for six of the last eight World Cups. They were drawn alongside New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt. Under tournament rules, FIFA has discretion to decide how to proceed if a team withdraws or is excluded.

For now, Iran remain on the schedule, but their place is no longer assured.

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