Iran threatens to withdraw from World Cup on West Coast

Iran could drop out of World Cup on West Coast

Iran could drop out of the World Cup games hosted in Los Angeles and Seattle. 

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Iran's participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is now at risk as war continues to ravage the country, with the tournament partially hosted in the United States.

Iran's Football Federation has said it cannot "look forward to the World Cup with hope," threatening to withdraw from the worldwide tournament with fewer than 100 days until it begins.

Iran's soccer team is not scheduled to play any of the six matches set for the Bay Area, but its group stage matches are slated for Los Angeles and Seattle.

Michael Goldman, a sport management expert at the University of San Francisco with prior World Cup experience, said Iran's participation is completely uncertain — and that a withdrawal would force FIFA to make rapid decisions.

"That's never happened before," Goldman said. "There would be financial and reputational issues associated, and certainly impact on the athletes and the fans, and an impact on FIFA in terms of how they manage the tournament and what happens to those games."

Iran could appeal to play matches in other host cities in Mexico or Canada, though that outcome is considered unlikely, as match locations are already set. If the United States applies sufficient pressure, it could also influence FIFA to sanction Iran from participating in the tournament.

Should Iran not compete, Iraq would likely be the next option to represent the Asian Football Confederation. 

Iran is not scheduled to face the United States in the group stage, though the two nations could meet in the knockout rounds. They last played each other on the world stage at the 2022 and 1998 World Cups.