Iran has reportedly threatened to withdraw from this summer’s FIFA Men’s World Cup — scheduled for 2026 in the United States, Canada and Mexico — following a recent U.S.-Israeli military operation.

The Iranian Football Federation president, Mehdi Taj, cast significant doubt over their participation during an interview on Iranian television. “With what happened today and with that attack by the United States, it is unlikely that we can look forward to the cup,” Taj stated. He added, “But the sports chiefs are the ones who must decide on that.”

Iran qualified for the tournament through the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and is set to play three matches in North America: against New Zealand on June 15 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Belgium on June 21 in Los Angeles, and Egypt on June 26 in Seattle.

FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom described the situation at a meeting in Wales on Saturday. “I read the news the same way you did this morning,” he said. “We had a meeting today and it would be premature to comment on that in detail.” Grafstrom emphasized FIFA’s ongoing monitoring of global developments to ensure the safety of the event.

The White House has expanded its travel ban to include Iran, which falls under 19 countries with “full suspension” status for immigration. However, the policy explicitly exempts athletes, coaches, support staff, and immediate relatives traveling for major sporting events such as the World Cup.

A special FIFA World Cup visa, known as the FIFA PASS, is available for citizens of countries subject to travel restrictions, though it does not override existing U.S. entry bans.

The threat comes just 107 days before Iran’s first match in the tournament.