Iran’s place at the upcoming World Cup has been thrown into uncertainty, with senior football officials admitting they no longer know whether the national team will be able to compete in the United States this summer.
Speaking amid an intensifying regional conflict, the president of the Iranian Football Federation said the mood around the national team had darkened considerably following recent military strikes involving the US and Israel.
“After this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward with hope,” said Mehdi Taj, reflecting growing concern inside Iranian sport.
Iran are scheduled to take part in the tournament co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico, and have been drawn into Group G.
Their fixtures include matches in Los Angeles and Seattle, but uncertainty over travel, security and diplomatic relations now looms large. Iranian fans were already affected by earlier US travel restrictions, further complicating the picture.
World football’s governing body, FIFA, has so far declined to comment publicly on whether contingency plans are being discussed, leaving Iran’s status unresolved as the tournament approaches.
The impact of the crisis has extended well beyond football. In Abu Dhabi, the second one-day match between England Lions and Pakistan Shaheens was cancelled, while other sporting events across the Middle East have been postponed or suspended on security grounds.
Domestic football in Qatar has been halted entirely, and several continental club fixtures under the Asian Football Confederation have been delayed.
For Iran’s players, qualification should have been a moment of pride. Instead, a World Cup that once promised opportunity now sits under a cloud of uncertainty, shaped by forces far beyond the pitch.