Tuesday marks 100 days until the start of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Iran's participation in the tournament is in doubt after American and Israeli armed forces launched strikes on the country, while controversy over ticket prices, drug wars in Mexico and travel bans imposed by United States President Donald Trump are also casting shadows over preparations.
Iran's soccer chief Mehdi Taj said he and senior government officials would assess whether the squad should take part in the competition, which begins on 11 June.
"It's not possible to say exactly, but there will certainly be a response," Taj said during a panel discussion on Iran's IRIB Channel 3.
"This will surely be studied by the country's high-ranking sports officials and there will be a decision on what's going to happen. But what we can say now is that due to this attack and its viciousness, it is far from our expectations that we can look at the World Cup with hope."
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Iran booked a place in the tournament at their fourth successive finals last year, by topping Group A in the third round of Asian qualifying.
They are scheduled to play in Group G with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand, with their matches taking place in Los Angeles and Seattle.
If they were to finish their pool in second place and the US also finish the group stages as runners-up, the sides could meet in the last-32 knockout round.
If Iran were to withdraw, a replacement team would likely come from the Asian Football Confederation.
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Criticism of ticket prices
Questions over Iran's participation follow doubts over the suitability of hosts Mexico, after the death on 23 February of drug lord Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes following a Mexican special forces operation. The attack led to more than 60 deaths around Mexico in a series of reprisals.
Following assurances last week from Fifa boss Gianni Infantino, Mexican president Claudia Scheinbaum also assured fans they would not be at risk when attending matches in Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara.
In addition, the price of tickets is causing controversy. The cheapest range from €103 to €228 for group-stage games that do not involve co-hosts.
England's Football Association shared pricing information with the England Supporters Travel Club showing that if a fan bought a ticket for every game through to the final it would cost just over €7,000.
Fifa has reduced some prices in the wake of criticism. Fan organisation Football Supporters Europe welcomed this move but said the revisions did not go far enough – and highlighted the absence of a pricing structure for disabled fans or complementary companion tickets.
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It said: "For the moment we are looking at the Fifa announcement as nothing more than an appeasement tactic due to the global negative backlash. We call upon Fifa to engage in a proper dialogue to arrive at a solution that respects the contribution of fans, and the dignity of fans with disabilities."
Fifa says nearly 2 million tickets have been sold in the first two sales phases. Residents of the three host countries drove the most purchases, followed by fans in France, England, Germany, Brazil, Colombia, Spain and Argentina.
One month before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Fifa said 2.89 million tickets had been sold for 64 matches in eight stadiums. Overall, 3,182,406 tournament tickets were sold, harvesting nearly €700 million in revenue.
Travel bans
US travel and visa restrictions could also limit the number of supporters at matches on American soil.
Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire are among dozens of countries whose citizens now face new entry restrictions under a policy introduced by President Donald Trump on national security grounds. Iran and Haiti are subject to broader suspensions.
The measures do not apply to players, coaches, officials or accredited staff, who will be allowed to enter the United States for the tournament. But for many ordinary supporters, obtaining a tourist visa is now likely to prove difficult.
Fan groups have warned that the restrictions risk excluding thousands of supporters from the expanded 48-team competition, much of which will be staged in US cities.
The race for the title
On the pitch, defending champions Argentina will begin their campaign on 26 June in Group J. The South Americans open against Algeria in Kansas City before further group matches against Austria and Jordan.
France, beaten on penalties by Argentina in the 2022 final in Doha, begin what is set to be Didier Deschamps’ final tournament as head coach against Senegal on 16 June. They will also face a team from the intercontinental play-offs before concluding the group stage against Norway.
The final will take place on 19 July at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in New Jersey.
