‘Iran is still set to play at the World Cup,’ says AFC official

Kuala Lumpur: A leading soccer official in Asia says Iran is still set to play at the World Cup which kicks off in June in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

In a social media post last week in reaction to comments from U.S. President Donald Trump, Iran's national soccer team said "no one can exclude" it from playing in the global tournament.

On Monday, Asian Football Confederation general secretary Windsor John said the sport's continental governing body has heard nothing to suggest Iran won't contest the World Cup.

"They are our member. We want them to play," he told a news conference in Kuala Lumpur, where the AFC is based. "As far as we know, Iran is playing.

"It's a very emotional moment, everybody is saying a lot of things. At the end of the day, it's the (Iran soccer) federation who should decide if they're playing and, as for today, the federation … has told us that they're going to the World Cup."

Also read: ‘Monitoring Mexico’: Infantino remains confident of a smooth 2026 World Cup despite growing fears

Trump had posted on social media that the Iranian team was welcome at the World Cup despite the ongoing war with Iran but that "I really don't believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety."

Iran is set to play all three of its World Cup group games in the U.S., which is co-hosting the tournament with Mexico and Canada.

The regional war has put doubt on Iran's ability to fulfill its World Cup entry, and sports minister Ahmad Donyamali told state TV last week that the current circumstances meant it was not possible to play.

But the Iran team's riposte on Instagram confirmed it still wants to participate, and pointed out that the tournament is run by FIFA, soccer's world governing body, not Trump or the U.S.

Iran is scheduled to play in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand on June 16 and Belgium on June 21, before finishing group play in Seattle against Egypt on June 27.

Iran is a power in Asian soccer, ranked No. 20 in the world by FIFA and has qualified for its fourth straight World Cup edition.

Also read: Iraq football team to travel to Mexico for 2026 World Cup playoff despite Middle East conflict

Before the World Cup, Iranian soccer officials are due to attend FIFA's annual congress on April 30 in Vancouver. The Iranian federation was unable to attend meetings in Atlanta last week to help teams prepare for the 48-nation tournament.

Iran’s women’s soccer team heads to Oman from Malaysia following asylum U-turn

The Iranian women’s national football team is scheduled to depart Malaysia for Oman on Monday, marking the end of a high-stakes diplomatic standoff. The crisis began after seven squad members initially sought asylum in Australia following their exit from the Women’s Asian Cup. In a sudden reversal, five of those individuals—four players and one staff member—rejoined the team in Kuala Lumpur, reportedly under intense pressure from Tehran.

While the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and FIFA have pledged to monitor the players' safety upon their eventual return to Iran, significant concerns remain. The team had previously sparked controversy by refusing to sing the Iranian national anthem during their opening match, an act interpreted as a protest or sign of mourning.

Iranian state media has hailed the U-turn as a victory over "American-Australian propaganda." Conversely, experts and members of the Iranian diaspora suggest the players’ "change of heart" was coerced through threats against their families. Two players remain in Australia under government protection at an undisclosed location. The incident underscores the volatile intersection of international sport and geopolitics, particularly as diplomatic tensions continue to brew between Canberra and Tehran.

Click here to read article