Monday 02/March/2026 – 02:49 AM
Rising tensions between the United States and Iran cast a shadow over the tournament World Cup 2026 Scheduled next summer, with Iran included on the list of countries subject to the travel ban and the escalation of military operations in the region, speculation has increased about the possibility of Iran boycotting the tournament or preventing it from participating, nearly 100 days before the start of the global event.
FIFA regulations and alternative teams
According to what was reported by the global “GiveMeSport” website, the tournament’s rules stipulate that if a team withdraws or is prevented from competing, it will be replaced by a nominated alternative team, which is often the direct runner-up from the qualifying qualifiers or the team with the highest ranking from the same continent that did not qualify.
The position of the UAE and Iraq on participation
The report explained that the United Arab Emirates may emerge as the most prominent beneficiary in this scenario, as it finished the Asian qualifiers as the highest-ranked non-qualifying country.
However, the name of the Iraqi national team stands out as another option, as Iraq has already qualified to participate in the continental playoff scheduled for March 31, and there is a proposal under study that stipulates that Iraq will advance directly to Group G instead of Iran, while the UAE will move to participate in the continental playoff as an alternative.
The fate of the seventh group (Egypt group)
It is noteworthy that the draw placed the Iranian team in the seventh group, which includes alongside it the teams of Egypt, Belgium and New Zealand. All matches of this group are scheduled to be held within the United States of America. If the identity of the participating Asian team is changed, the schedule of matches and group arrangements will be maintained as they are to ensure the stability of the tournament.
Sports circles are awaiting FIFA’s final decision and official moves from the Iranian side in the coming weeks, to determine the features of Asian participation in the World Cup, especially since the Iranian national team officially reserved its seat after topping its group in the Asian qualifiers last March.
