Iran’s Football Federation has formally told the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) that it intends to compete at the FIFA World Cup in North America this summer, directly contradicting the country’s own sports minister, who declared last week that participation was impossible.
AFC General Secretary Windsor John confirmed the federation’s position on Monday at a press conference at the confederation’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, saying the AFC had received no notification of withdrawal and that Iran remained on course to play.
“It’s a very emotional moment. Everybody’s saying a lot of things,” John told reporters. “At the end of the day, it’s the 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.”
The statement creates a direct split within the Iranian government over the country’s position. Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali told state television on March 11 that the national team could not participate under any circumstances following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint United States and Israeli strikes on February 28. The Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) has not issued a formal withdrawal to FIFA, the body that governs participation in the tournament.
Iran is scheduled to play all three of its group-stage fixtures in the United States, facing New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21, and Egypt in Seattle on June 26. The team was absent from a mandatory FIFA preparation summit in Atlanta last week, the only qualified nation not represented, and its federation president was denied a US visa to attend the World Cup draw in Washington in December.
Should Iran formally withdraw, FIFA regulations would require the governing body to find a replacement. The most likely Asian candidate is the United Arab Emirates, while Iraq remain a possibility depending on the outcome of their intercontinental playoff against Bolivia or Suriname scheduled for March 31 in Mexico. Iran would also face a minimum financial penalty of 250,000 Swiss francs under FIFA’s competition regulations and risk exclusion from the 2030 World Cup qualification process.
The World Cup begins on June 11 and runs through July 19 across venues in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
