The World Cup faces an unprecedented crisis as the US attacks Iran — how will Fifa respond?

The 2026 World Cup has been plunged into uncertainty after Iran’s football federation indicated that the national team’s participation is in doubt following US-assisted military strikes on the country. With the tournament due to be staged in the United States, the escalating Middle East conflict has triggered the first major geopolitical test for Fifa ahead of football’s flagship event.

Iran’s soccer federation released a brief statement on Monday saying its World Cup involvement “is now under review,” without specifying whether a final decision to withdraw has been taken. The carefully worded message, echoed by the Iranian football association in separate briefings to domestic media, has left organisers bracing for the possibility that one of Asia’s traditional qualifiers could abandon the competition.

The development comes after a series of US-assisted strikes on Iranian targets, prompting Tehran to condemn what it terms “direct aggression.” Although sport and politics have often collided on the global stage, the prospect of a boycott by a qualified nation in direct response to military action against the host country is without modern precedent.

Fifa has yet to issue a formal response, but insiders say emergency meetings are being scheduled at the governing body’s Zurich headquarters. Tournament regulations allow for late replacements only in exceptional circumstances, and any vacancy would force a scramble among the next-best ranked teams that failed to qualify from the Asian confederation.

Broadcasters, sponsors and host cities across the United States are monitoring the stand-off closely. A withdrawal would not only reshape the group-stage draw but could also ignite calls for fan protests or counter-boycotts, intensifying security planning less than two years before kick-off.

For now, football awaits clarity from Tehran and leadership from Fifa as the sport confronts a diplomatic minefield that threatens to overshadow preparations for the first 48-team World Cup.