Never before has a World Cup host nation been at war with one of the countries participating in the tournament. Never before has a World Cup host nation been at war with one of the countries participating in the tournament. But this has not stopped it excluding Russia from qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup. If Iran withdraws from the World Cup, will FIFA sanction the FFIRI and, by extension, the national men’s team? A red card is also possible, such as exclusion from the 2030 World Cup.

Source: Daily Nation March 25, 2026 18:44 UTC