Kuala Lumpur, March 17 (V7N) – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has confirmed that it has not received any official notification that Iran will withdraw its national team from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite recent reports suggesting otherwise.

Iran has qualified as one of Asia’s representatives in the 48-team tournament, scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. According to the fixtures, Iran’s group matches are set for Los Angeles and Seattle.

Tensions escalated after a US-Israel attack reportedly killed Iran’s supreme leader, leading Iran’s sports minister to claim that it would be impossible for the team to participate under the current circumstances. Last week, US President Donald Trump stated that Iran would be welcome to compete but implied that the players’ safety in the United States was a serious concern—a comment some critics interpreted as a veiled threat.

AFC General Secretary Windsor John told reporters in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, “At the end of the day, it is up to the federation to decide whether a country will play or not. To date, the Iran Football Federation has told us that they are going to play. They have qualified, so we hope they can resolve their issues and participate.”

If Iran were to officially withdraw, it would mark the first time in modern World Cup history that FIFA would need to urgently find a replacement. Options include inviting the highest-ranked Asian team eliminated in qualifiers or proceeding with Group G under special rules with only three teams.

END/SMA/AJ