The Iran men’s national football team is still expected to take part in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, Asian football officials confirmed on Monday, despite security concerns raised recently.
US President Donald Trump had warned last Thursday that the team’s “life and safety” could be at risk if they travelled for the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The tensions follow a conflict that erupted after US-Israeli strikes on February 28, raising questions about whether Iran would still participate in the global tournament.
However, the Asian Football Confederation said there has been no official indication that Iran will withdraw.
“As far as we know, Iran is playing,” said Windsor Paul John, the AFC’s general secretary.
“We are monitoring whether they are playing or not, but at the moment they are. There is no official information that they are not playing,” he told a press conference at the AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.
Windsor added that the AFC hopes the situation will be resolved so the Iranian team can feature at the tournament.
“So we hope that they will solve their issues… and be able to participate in the World Cup,” he said.
Earlier, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that the Iranian team was welcome but questioned whether their participation would be safe.
The situation has also affected Iran’s women’s football team. The captain of the Iran women’s national football team, who had travelled to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia, withdrew her asylum request on Sunday.
Seven members of Iran’s football delegation had earlier sought asylum in Australia after they were labelled “traitors” back home for refusing to sing the national anthem.
Following the captain’s decision to withdraw her request, only two of the players are now expected to remain in Australia.
A former Iranian player and a Persian-language television channel operating outside Iran claimed that some of the players were pressured to change their stance through threats against their families.
Iranian authorities, however, alleged that Australia had tried to influence the players to remain in the country.
The players who are returning to Iran are currently staying in a hotel in Kuala Lumpur while waiting for their onward travel.
Speaking on the matter, Windsor said the AFC was waiting for the team to decide their next step.
Asked about the women’s immediate future, Windsor said the AFC was waiting for word from the team “when they want to leave.”
“It’s their decision and we will support that,” he said.
