Iraq and the United Arab Emirates are seen as the most likely beneficiaries should Iran decide to withdraw from the 2026 World Cup finals.
The head of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, cast doubt on his country’s participation in the tournament, saying, “After this attack, we cannot look forward to the World Cup with hope.”
According to The Guardian, if FIFA is forced to replace Iran due to the withdrawal, the replacement will most likely come from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
FIFA sources indicated that if Iraq fails to qualify through the playoffs, they would be the leading candidate to replace Iran if necessary. However, if Iraq does qualify, the vacant spot could automatically go to the UAE, as they are the highest-ranked Asian nation that did not qualify for the finals.
Iran’s withdrawal from the World Cup would be unprecedented in modern history. No country has withdrawn from the tournament after the draw since France and India withdrew from the 1950 edition due to travel costs.
FIFA’s World Cup regulations are vague regarding the replacement of a team that has already qualified for the finals, stating only that FIFA has “absolute discretion” to take “any action it deems necessary” and that it “may decide to replace the participating member association concerned with another association”.
