"What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope, Mehdi Taj told sports portal Varzesh3 as Iran traded strikes with Israel as part of a widening war prompted by the bombardment."
"The U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran continued for a second day on Sunday after the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threw the future of the Islamic Republic into uncertainty and raised the risk of regional instability."
"Iran has been drawn in Group G at the World Cup and is scheduled to play in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21 before finishing the first round against Egypt in Seattle on June 26."
Following U.S. and Israeli bombardment of Iran and the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's soccer federation president Mehdi Taj expressed uncertainty about the national team's ability to compete in the upcoming World Cup. Iran is scheduled to play matches in California and Seattle in June 2026 against New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt. The escalating military conflict between Iran and Israel has created significant doubt about participation in the tournament. Iranian fans were already restricted from entering the United States under previous travel bans. FIFA has not yet responded to inquiries regarding Iran's World Cup participation status.
#iran-world-cup-participation #us-israeli-military-conflict #international-sports-diplomacy #2026-fifa-world-cup
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