Iran Withdraws from 2026 World Cup, Who Will Replace It? Iraq, UAE, or Indonesia?

Iran National Team player (photo: Instagram/@iran_football_federation)

YOGYAKARTA - The Iranian national team is certain not to participate in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The geopolitical situation in the Middle East is the reason why Iran is reluctant to appear in the five-year event. So, if Iran withdraws from the 2026 World Cup, who will replace it?

Previously, Iranian Sports Minister Ahmad Donyanmali stated that it was difficult for his party to come to America and play football matches there.

This is because the US together with Israel launched an air strike on Iranian territory on February 28, 2026. The attack also killed Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"Because the corrupt government has killed our leader, there are no conditions that allow us to participate in the World Cup," Donyanmali said, quoting Marca's website.

Iran had previously ensured their qualification for the final round and joined Group G with Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand. However, the political and security situation made the Iranian government state that their national team could not participate in the tournament.

Iran Withdraws from 2026 World Cup, Who Will Replace It?

Speaking about Iran's replacement candidate, FIFA has actually prepared a mechanism if a team withdraws from the World Cup.

Referring to Article 6, paragraph 3 of the 2026 World Cup regulations, FIFA gives the FIFA Council full authority to determine the replacement of the withdrawing participants.

"The FIFA Council or the relevant committee may decide, in particular, to replace the member association concerned with another association," the rules read.

Interestingly, the rule does not require the replacement to come from the same confederation. In other words, FIFA has a very wide decision space.

Furthermore, if FIFA decides to choose a replacement from the Asian region, then Iraq and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are the strongest candidates.

Iraq is the leading candidate because it is in the highest position among Asian teams who have not secured a World Cup ticket. They are also still undergoing an intercontinental playoff path that will determine the opportunity to appear in the tournament.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates are just below Iraq in the qualification path. Mathematically, they are still in the running for the final round so they have the potential to be a replacement alternative.

Some football analysts even predict a scenario where Iraq directly replaces Iran, while Iraq's position in the playoff path is then filled by the United Arab Emirates.

Does the Indonesian National Team Have a Chance to Replace Iran in the World Cup?

On social media, the Indonesian national team was also widely referred to as a potential replacement for Iran. This is inseparable from Indonesia's achievement in reaching the next phase in the 2026 World Cup qualification in the Asian zone.

In theory, the opportunity does exist, especially because FIFA regulations do not require a replacement to come from the same confederation. However, in terms of ranking and competitive performance, Indonesia's position is still below several other Asian countries such as Iraq.

Besides Indonesia, Oman has also been mentioned as an alternative option. However, various factors such as position in the qualifying standings and geographical considerations can affect FIFA's decision.

This is information about Iran withdrawing from the 2026 World Cup along with the countries that have the opportunity to replace it. Get other interesting news updates by visiting the VOI.id page.