Idman.biz
The scenario of a possible withdrawal of the Iranian national team from participation in the 2026 World Cup has raised the question of who could take their place in the tournament.
Idman.Biz reports that the president of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, previously stated that it is difficult for the team to "look forward" to the World Cup in the current circumstances against the backdrop of the country's bombing, and this statement has called into question the team's participation.
The most discussed option is the direct promotion of the Iraqi national team to the final stage of the World Cup. Iraq advanced past the UAE in the Asian play-off stage, drawing 1:1 in Abu Dhabi and winning 2:1 in Basra, securing a place in the intercontinental play-off with a score of 3:2 on aggregate. The Iraqis are currently awaiting the decisive stage. They will face the winner of the Bolivia – Suriname pair in the second stage.
If FIFA decides to replace Iran with Iraq, the country's national team could directly qualify for the final stage of the World Cup. In this case, Iraq's vacant spot in the intercontinental play-off could logically be given to the UAE as the last Asian team one step away from advancing to the next stage. Such a scenario would preserve the principle of sportsmanship and allow for minimal intervention in the already approved play-off schedule.
The second, less likely option is the inclusion of the UAE directly into the list of World Cup participants without changing Iraq's status. However, in this case, FIFA will have to make more serious adjustments to the balance of participants, taking into account the structure of the already formed intercontinental tournament.
FIFA, in turn, has stated that it is closely monitoring the development of events around Iran and has not yet made an official decision. The tournament regulations give the organization the right to determine a replacement at its discretion in the event of a withdrawal or removal of one of the teams from the competition. Therefore, the final decision will depend on the decision of the governing bodies of world football.
