US pressures FIFA to ban Iran from participating in the 2026 World Cup

[#US proposes banning Iran from participating in the World Cup#]As the situation in the Middle East continues to tense, the US government recently put pressure on FIFA to ban Iran from participating in the 2026 World Cup. FIFA has not yet made an official response to this.

On June 26, according to Scoop, sources revealed that the U.S. government representative held a meeting with FIFA earlier this week and suggested that Iran be removed from the World Cup team. The event will be co-sponsored by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The US is also considering implementing strict security checks and visa reviews for Iranian fans to watch games in the United States.

It is reported that to avoid diplomatic frictions, FIFA is considering all Iranian matches in Canada or Mexico to bypass political risks in the United States.

If the game is ultimately suspended, Iran has the right to file a complaint with the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which may include discrimination, procedural injustice or lack of legal basis.

On March 25, 2025, the 18th-ranked Iran team in the world drew 2-2 with Uzbekistan in the Asian qualifiers held in Tehran, thus ensuring the qualification for the 2026 World Cup. The Iranian team has advanced to the World Cup seven times so far (1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026), but has not yet qualified from the group stage. (Phoenix TV European Channel)

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