The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has stated that it has not received any notification from Iran regarding a withdrawal from the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Iran has qualified for the 48-team tournament, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico from 11 June.
Iran's sports minister previously suggested that participation would be impossible after US airstrikes alongside Israel killed the Islamic Republic's supreme leader. US President Donald Trump remarked that Iran was welcome but questioned the appropriateness of their attendance for safety reasons.
AFC General Secretary Windsor John told reporters in Kuala Lumpur: 'It's a very emotional moment. Everybody's saying a lot of things. 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.'
John added: '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.'
An official withdrawal by Iran would be the first in the modern era, leaving FIFA with the urgent task of finding a replacement team.
