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FootBiz newsletter #149: Iran look set to withdraw from the World Cup
Infantino left red-faced as the orange-faced one goes rogue again
Ed Malyon
March 13, 2026 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes
Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the hosts of the World Cup bombed the living shit out of them and killed their longtime leader, it’s looking increasingly like Iran won’t participate at this summer’s World Cup.
Gianni Infantino has found out to his own embarrassment that all the sycophancy in the world doesn’t actually help when it comes to the president of the United States. It just delays you getting screwed a bit longer.
The Swiss lawyer with the gleaming dome has spent years slavishly following Donald Trump around expensive gala dinners, smoothing over the military incursions and shooting of innocent civilians both at home and abroad so that his quadrennial cash cow can go off without a hitch this summer.
Well it appears that the first hitch has well and truly arrived.
Infantino confidently declared on Wednesday that Trump would “welcome” Iran at the tournament this summer.
"During discussions, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States," Infantino said.
"We all need an event like the World Cup to bring people together now more than ever, and I sincerely thank the president of the United States for his support, as it shows once again that football unites the world."
Less than 24 hours later, L’homme orange went ahead and dropped bombs all over Infantino’s kumbaya act.
Infantino’s devotion to Trump has not avoided embarrassment for FIFA
"The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety," he said in a post that some critics read as a veiled threat.
He told Politico last week he didn’t care if they came or not, but the president of the host nation doubting the safety of any participating nation is cause for alarm.
Increasingly it appears as if the Iranians are going to withdraw.
Sports minister Ahmad Donyamali became the first government representative to address the issue, being very clear this week that “under no circumstances can we participate”.
Following first airstrikes, which killed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and triggered retaliatory attacks on neighbouring Gulf states, the president of Iran’s football federation, Mehdj Taj had warned “we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope”, with the government this week providing clarification that they will seemingly boycott the tournament.
"Considering that this corrupt regime [the US] has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup," Reuters quoted Donyamali as saying on Wednesday.
Iran will face disciplinary action from FIFA if they withdraw unilaterally, with possible sanctions including a ban from future tournaments, an eventuality that looks more likely given Infantino has publicly committed to their involvement. Member associations are not permitted to withdraw from competitions, and declining to take part in a World Cup has not occurred since France and India withdrew in 1950, citing travel costs.
In 1986 Iran were expelled from the Asian qualifying tournament however, for refusing to play their home matches on neutral territory.
Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, who missed out on qualification in play-offs against Saudi Arabia and Qatar, are the most likely candidates to replace Iran, but their involvement is also complicated by the war in the Gulf.
Iraq are due to face Bolivia or Suriname in one of two finals in the six-team interconfederation play-offs in Mexico later this month, but have asked FIFA to postpone the game as most of their squad are stuck in Baghdad and unable to travel as Iraqi airspace is closed. More flights are available from the UAE, who are next in line after Iraq.
FIFA have yet to formally respond to Iraq’s request for a postponement after initially suggesting the squad travel by road from Baghdad to Istanbul, a 25-hour journey through a part of the country that has been under attack from Iranian drones, before flying on to Mexico.
FIFA appears in no rush to resolve either the Iran or Iraq issues, and a final decision may not be made until their annual Congress in Vancouver at the end of April.
