at 
Iran’s place at this summer’s World Cup has been thrown into doubt after the country’s football chief suggested the team may not travel following a deadly round of US and Israeli airstrikes.
Tehran’s Football Boss Pours Cold Water on the Tournament
Iran has “unlikely” prospects of looking ahead to the World Cup after Saturday’s attacks, according to comments attributed to Iranian Football Federation president Mehdi Taj on Iranian TV and reported by Marca. Taj stopped short of making an official call, pointing out that the final decision sits with Iran’s sporting leadership.
The backdrop is explosive: a joint US-Israel operation reportedly struck multiple Iranian cities, including Tehran, and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is believed to have been killed in the bombing of his compound.
Talks Collapsed, Then the Bombs Fell
The strikes came shortly after Iran and the United States were engaged in negotiations aimed at limiting Iran’s ability to obtain a nuclear weapon in exchange for sanctions relief. Those talks failed, and the fallout quickly turned military.
Domestically in the US, the operation sparked political pushback, with Democrats criticizing President Donald Trump for acting without congressional authorization. The White House, via spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, said congressional leaders from both parties were briefed ahead of the action.
FIFA’s Early Response: “Premature” to Say Much
With the World Cup now only months away, FIFA officials are watching the situation closely. Speaking at an IFAB meeting in Wales on Saturday, FIFA general secretary Mattias Grafström said he’d learned of the developments that morning and described it as too early to comment in detail. He added FIFA’s priority remains a safe World Cup with every qualified team taking part.
Iran’s Group Plans, Locations, and a Potential US Clash
Iran qualified for a fourth straight World Cup after topping Group A in Asian qualifying and was drawn into Group G. The schedule listed Iran to open against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, then face Belgium in Los Angeles, before finishing the group against Egypt in Seattle.
They were also expected to base themselves at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona, but those arrangements now look shaky.
There’s another wrinkle that will make tournament planners sweat: if both Iran and the United States were to finish second in their groups, they could meet in Dallas on July 3.
