Iran football federation gives dim World Cup outlook after US-assisted strikes on country

Iran’s shot federation isn’t looking astatine the World Cup successful a affirmative manner aft the United States-assisted strikes conducted by Israel against Iran.

Iran qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which volition instrumentality spot successful the U.S., Mexico and Canada this summer. Iran is presently acceptable to look New Zealand astatine SoFi Stadium successful Inglewood, Calif. to commencement their Group G play connected June 15. 

However, Iranian shot federation’s president, Mehdi Taj, gave a dim outlook connected the tourney for his country. 

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Players of Iran observe aft the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Group A crippled betwixt Iran and Uzbekistan astatine Azadi Stadium connected March 25, 2025 successful Tehran, Iran. Iran's nationalist shot squad celebrated aft securing qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 2-2 gully against Uzbekistan. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu)

"What is definite is that aft this attack, we cannot beryllium expected to look guardant to the World Cup with hope," Taj told sports portal Varzesh3 connected Sunday. 

"The US authorities has attacked our homeland, and this is an incidental that volition not spell unanswered."

Andrew Guiliani, the manager of the White House World Cup task force, had this to accidental astir the concern connected Saturday. 

"We’ll woody with shot games tomorrow—tonight, we observe their accidental for freedom," helium wrote connected X. 

FIFA besides noted it volition beryllium monitoring the concern with Iran. 

Iran’s nationalist squad besides won’t beryllium preparing for the World Cup, arsenic a 40-day mourning play pursuing the decease of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is successful effect.

If Iran does enactment successful the World Cup, athletes, officials and household members volition beryllium considered an objection to participate the U.S., which President Donald Trump has antecedently mentioned. Iran is among countries whose citizens cannot participate the U.S. 

Mehdi Taremi of Iran celebrates aft scoring a extremity during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Group A crippled betwixt Iran and Uzbekistan astatine Azadi Stadium connected March 25, 2025 successful Tehran, Iran. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu)

Since the U.S. and Israel onslaught connected Saturday, Iran has responded by firing missiles and drones astatine the second arsenic good arsenic astatine determination countries that big U.S. allies oregon subject bases, including Bahrain and Qatar. 

Fox News Digital learned that Israel’s nationalist gymnastics squad suspended each grooming and squad activities amid the counterattack, with The Israel Gymnastics Federation (IGF) providing a connection announcing the unit has caused "unavoidable disruptions." 

"The existent information concern successful our portion has resulted successful unavoidable disruptions to our regular grooming docket and has created important uncertainty regarding the nationalist teams’ nonrecreational plans, peculiarly arsenic we are astatine the outset of the planetary season," the connection read.

Iran's players airs for a squad representation up of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asia portion qualifiers radical A shot lucifer betwixt Iran and the North Korea astatine the Azadi Sports Complex successful Tehran connected June 10, 2025. (ATTA KENARE/AFP)

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A root wrong the squad besides told Fox News Digital connected Saturday that the gymnasts person been moving betwixt weaponry shelters since Iran's counterstrikes began. 

Iranian airstrikes killed astatine slightest 8 Israelis connected Sunday arsenic Tehran’s latest rocket barrage landed conscionable miles from Jerusalem. The strikes landed successful the Israeli metropolis of Beit Shemesh. 

Fox News' Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

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