FIFA President Gianni Infantino The US-Iran war, in which Iranian forces have attacked US bases in several Gulf states, has posed a looming threat to several sporting events, including the Bahrain-Saudi Grand Prix (F1) and the Finalissimo between Spain and Argentina in Doha, Qatar. However, it is not the only football event at risk. With the 2026 World Cup less than three months away and scheduled to be played in Mexico, Canada and the United States, an event that has not been without controversy due to Mexican cartel violence and extremely high ticket prices and general instability in US-Mexico and US-Canada bilateral relations due to tariff threats, the war puts FIFA’s controversial bill on the US president’s gimmicky statements. Donald Trump.
Iran Makes Sharp ‘DEMANDS FOR PEACE’ To Trump and Netanyahu; ‘ACCEPT OUR TERMS OR THE FIGHT CONTINUES…’
While Trump may have “welcomed” Iran to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in the same breath he pointed out the threat to the lives and safety of Iranian soccer players should they choose to participate. This overshadowed the participation of Iran, who were the first country to qualify from Asia; however, prior to Trump’s above statement, Iran publicly expressed its intention to withdraw from the World Cup due to the US assassination of its leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.A possible withdrawal will be an unprecedented move in the modern football era and is comparable to the withdrawal of the Bangladesh cricket team from the recently concluded T20 World Cup over a security threat questioned by global governing body ICC. However, after some negotiations, no sanctions were imposed on Bangladesh. READ ALSO | Who can participate if Iran pulls out of the FIFA World Cup?The World Cup being a FIFA event, the ultimate responsibility to ensure a safe environment rests with them, who are supported by local security authorities and the police. If FIFA confirms a safe environment and Iran still decides to withdraw, FIFA may, in accordance with its statutes, impose sanctions such as: (i) the imposition of a fine of at least CHF (Swiss francs) 250,000 if the withdrawal is more than 30 days before the scheduled start or at least 3 days before the withdrawal is less than CHF050 (Article 005 CHF 6.2 of the FIFA World Cup Rules, 26); (ii) under the FIFA Statutes, Member Associations must participate in all official competitions for which they qualify, and may also be banned from participating in future events.
File photo of the Iranian football team. (Getty Images)
Ironically, at the time of the banning of the Russian football team in 2022 for the invasion of Ukraine, FIFA itself took the position that matches by Russian teams would lead to unacceptable security risks, even if they were played at neutral venues, which was confirmed by CAS. However, the positions of the parties involved differ. In the first case, Russia (attackers) is a participant in the competitions and subsequently banned. In the current scenario, the USA (the attackers) are hosting the tournament, putting FIFA in a Catch-22 situation.Furthermore, article 6.5 of the World Cup rules allows member associations to withdraw due to force majeure; the interpretation of force majeure will depend on the circumstances prevailing at the time of withdrawal. With the World Cup being played in 3 countries, FIFA may have the option of resorting to Article 6.9 of the 26 FIFA World Cup Rules, which allows them to relocate one or more matches for any reason, including force majeure, and to schedule all of Iran’s matches outside of the US as a middle ground and create a contingency plan to be played in Iran if played in Iran. This was also the ICC’s approach in the T20 World Cup, should Pakistan qualify for the semi-finals and final.
A woman displays a poster of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei as she waves her country’s flag during a campaign to support the government at Enqelab-e-Eslami, or Islamic Revolution Square, a square in central Tehran, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
If such a decision is taken, it may have its own political implications. Any aggressive decision taken now would also cast doubt on Iran’s participation in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, with soccer being an Olympic sport.Sport, which has been used since time immemorial as a tool to unite people, is increasingly influenced by geopolitical events in today’s volatile global environment. As a result, international federations did not remain isolated and often found themselves in the middle of controversies. While the charters of all international federations call for neutrality, this principle has been challenged on several occasions. As a result, there is a growing need now more than ever to set clear guidelines in the interests of justice.(Aahna Mehrotra is the founder and principal attorney at AM Sports Law & Management Co.)
