World football’s governing body is at a loss after Iran’s sports minister declared the country would participate “under no circumstances”
Fifa is not sure of how it will react to Iran’s decision not to participate in this summer’s World Cup.
World football’s governing body is facing the unprecedented prospect of replacing a qualified team at the World Cup for the first time in the modern era after Iran’s sports minister suggested the country could withdraw from the tournament due to conflict with the US.
Ahmad Donyamali, the country’s sports minister, said that “under no circumstances” would Iran participate in the competition taking place in the US, Canada and Mexico after airstrikes on the Middle Easter country carried out by tournament hosts US alongside Israel. Iran’s religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed in the conflict.
While the country has not formally withdrawn from the tournament, the possibility is now being taken seriously by football authorities. If confirmed, it would mark the first withdrawal from the World Cup in the modern era after qualification and the draw have already been completed.
The situation has left Fifa in a difficult position. Only hours before Donyamali’s comments, Fifa president Gianni Infantino had said he had received assurances from US president Donald Trump that Iran would be allowed to compete in the tournament, with the national team scheduled to open its campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June.
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If Iran does withdraw, Fifa’s regulations give the governing body wide discretion over how to respond. Article Six of the World Cup tournament rules allows Fifa to choose any replacement it sees fit and does not require the substitute team to come from the same continental confederation.
“There’s no modern precedent for this and, according to Fifa’s own tournament regulations, they have full discretion to do whatever they want in the case of a team withdrawing,” said James Kitching, Fifa’s former director in charge of football regulations.
“That means, for example, a team that withdraws wouldn’t have to be replaced by a team from the same confederation, or even replaced at all. Whether either of those scenarios would be politically tenable is a different question.
“The tournament regulations also provide disciplinary sanctions for any federation whose team withdraws. However, if Iran withdrew for any reason related to this current conflict, I doubt Fifa would impose any sanctions given the circumstances.”
Tournament rules state that a team withdrawing before the event faces a fine ranging from €275,000 to €555,000 depending on the timing of the decision, while further sanctions, potentially including bans from future competitions, could also be imposed by Fifa’s disciplinary committee.
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Iran earned their place at the tournament by topping Group A in the third round of Asian qualifying last year, securing a fourth consecutive World Cup appearance.
If a replacement is required, many observers believe another Asian nation would be the most logical option, though the process could prove complicated.
Iraq, currently preparing for an intercontinental playoff in Mexico later this month, has been mentioned as a potential candidate. However, travel disruptions across the Middle East caused by the ongoing conflict are already affecting the team’s preparations for their scheduled match against either Bolivia or Suriname on 31 March.
Iraq’s head coach Graham Arnold has proposed delaying the playoff match to give Fifa more time to assess Iran’s situation.
“Let Bolivia play Suriname this month and then a week before the World Cup, we play the winner in the US – the winner of that game stays on and the loser goes home,” Arnold said.
“In my opinion, it also gives Fifa more time to decide what Iran is going to do. If Iran withdraws, we go into the World Cup and it gives the UAE, who we beat in qualifying, the chance to prepare for either Bolivia or Suriname.”
Fifa has not yet issued an official response to Donyamali’s statement. A source at the Asian Football Confederation told Reuters the organisation is closely monitoring developments but emphasised that decisions about the World Cup fall under Fifa’s authority.
“Matters relating to the World Cup fall under Fifa’s remit,” the source said. “At this stage, it would be premature to speculate further.”
With Europe’s final qualifying playoff matches due to conclude at the end of March, experts believe Fifa may wait until early April before making any definitive ruling.
Kitching said: “I would expect a decision is not going to be made until after the final playoffs are finished and for Fifa to take a pragmatic and consultative approach to the situation.”
