After the US attacks, Iran’s association president has questioned participation in the World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada. Iran is scheduled to play all preliminary round games in the USA.
International media such as Associated Press and BBC quoted from an interview with Iranian television. There, Mehdi Taj, President of the Iranian Football Association, cast doubts about participation in the summer World Cup tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Iran Association President Taj: decision among “leaders of sport”
“After the attacks by the USA, it is difficult to imagine that we can look forward to the World Cup with confidence. But it is for the leaders of the sport to decide.”said Mehdi Taj.
This is probably addressed to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, but also to his close ally, US President Donald Trump. Infantino’s FIFA recently partnered with the Trump administration-run Peace Council. The US government began airstrikes on Iran on Saturday, supported by Israeli forces.
Politics expert: Unlikely, that conflict ends quickly”
Trump recently announced that the military operation against Iran could last a total of four weeks. Following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, political developments in Iran are highly uncertain.
The BBC quoted Sanam Vakil of the London-based political think tank Chatham House: From the perspective of Iran, which in turn responded with counterattacks on bases in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, it was not one “Twelve-day war or a controlled sequence of attacks and counterattacks that can be interrupted or resumed”says the Middle East expert and speaks of a new, existential level of escalation in Iran: “It’s clearly about the survival of the regime. It’s very unlikely that this conflict will end quickly.”
There have been no official new statements from FIFA following the military strikes in the Middle East. FIFA has so far left an Associated Press query about its dealings with Iran with regard to the World Cup unanswered. FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström recently said that the main goal was “hosting a safe World Cup in which everyone takes part”.
The BBC had already confronted FIFA with the question of what would happen if Iran boycotted the World Cup. Accordingly, Iraq, which will play in the continental playoffs for a World Cup ticket at the end of March, or the United Arab Emirates (UAE) would be possible replacement candidates from the Asian Confederation.
All three Preliminary round games of Iran in the USA
The Iran team’s games in World Cup preliminary group G are scheduled on US soil: June 15th against New Zealand, June 21st against Belgium, both in Inglewood, and June 26th in Seattle against Egypt.
According to the entry ban ordered by the Trump administration, no fans from Iran should travel to the USA for the World Cup in the summer. An exemption is provided for the team and team officials.
