"With what happened... and with that attack by the United States, it is unlikely that we can look forward to the World Cup, but the sports chiefs are the ones who must decide on that. - Mehdi Taj, head of Iran's football federation"
"The grave scenes in the Middle East over the past few days, which has seen the killing of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei and retaliatory strikes from Iran across the region, could have huge ramifications for the World Cup."
The 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America begins in 101 days, but geopolitical tensions threaten to overshadow the tournament. The United States launched military attacks against Iran, one of the qualified teams, in coordination with Israel. These escalations, including the killing of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei and retaliatory Iranian strikes, create significant uncertainty. Iran qualified for their fourth consecutive World Cup and was placed in Group G with Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand. All three group matches are scheduled in the USA, including two at Los Angeles's SoFi Stadium. Iranian football federation head Mehdi Taj expressed doubt about Iran's participation, stating that sports officials must decide whether the team can proceed amid the political crisis.
Read at www.fourfourtwo.com
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