Iran Still Slated for 2026 World Cup Despite Withdrawal Talk

Asian soccer chief says Iran has not yet declared it will skip the tournament.

Mar. 16, 2026 at 3:50pm

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Despite recent comments from Iran's sports minister that the country would not participate in the 2026 World Cup, the Asian Football Confederation's general secretary Windsor John said on Monday that Iran has not officially withdrawn from the tournament. John expressed hope that Iran would be able to resolve any issues and participate in the World Cup, which is scheduled to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Why it matters

Iran's participation in the World Cup has become a sensitive political issue amid ongoing tensions between Iran and the United States. The U.S. president has even encouraged Iran to skip the tournament, citing safety concerns for Iranian players and staff. However, the AFC remains hopeful that Iran will be able to compete, as they qualified for the World Cup and are a member of the AFC.

The details

According to AFC general secretary Windsor John, Iran has not yet declared that it will withdraw from the 2026 World Cup, despite comments last week from Iran's sports minister that the team would not participate. John said the Iranian football federation has told the AFC that they plan to play in the World Cup. The tournament is scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with Iran slated to play matches in Los Angeles and Seattle.

  • The 2026 World Cup is scheduled for June 11 to July 19.
  • Iran is currently scheduled to play New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21, and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

The players

Windsor John

The general secretary of the Asian Football Confederation.

Ahmad Donyamali

The sports minister of Iran who previously said the team would not participate in the 2026 World Cup.

Gianni Infantino

The president of FIFA who said that U.S. President Donald Trump told him Iran would be "welcome" at the 2026 World Cup.

Donald Trump

The President of the United States who encouraged Iran to skip the 2026 World Cup, citing safety concerns for Iranian players and staff.

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What they’re saying

“It's a very emotional moment. Everybody's saying a lot of things.”

— Windsor John, AFC General Secretary

“At the end of the day, it's the [Iranian] federation who should decide if they're playing, and as of today, the federation has told us that they are going to the World Cup.”

— Windsor John, AFC General Secretary

“They are our member. We want them to play. You know, they qualified … so we hope that they will solve their issues, whatever it is, and be able to participate.”

— Windsor John, AFC General Secretary

“As far as we know, Iran is playing.”

— Windsor John, AFC General Secretary

What’s next

The AFC and FIFA will continue to monitor the situation and work with the Iranian football federation to ensure their participation in the 2026 World Cup, should they choose to compete.

The takeaway

Despite the political tensions between Iran and the United States, the Asian soccer governing body remains hopeful that Iran will be able to resolve any issues and participate in the 2026 World Cup as scheduled. The final decision on Iran's participation ultimately lies with the Iranian football federation.