A hundred days from their first game, Iran’s prospects of playing in the US are fast fading as turbulent times once more affect the tournament
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aturday marks 100 days from what should be the start of Iran’s World Cup, a Group G fixture against New Zealand in Inglewood, near Los Angeles. As the United States bombs Iran – and Iran bombs a range of countries, including three that have also qualified – it seems all but impossible that they can take part in the tournament.
Were Iran to pull out or be expelled, they would become the first qualified nation since India and France in 1950 not to take up their place. Neither withdrawal in 1950 was political (in truth, saying there were two withdrawals is a technicality; those were chaotic years for qualification). India pulled out not, as has often been claimed, because they were banned from playing barefoot, but because they couldn’t afford the trip.
With Scotland declining to take up the berth they were entitled to having finished second in the British Home Championship and Turkey scratching after being offered qualification when Austria pulled out, France were one of three sides invited to make up the numbers. Portugal and Ireland said no, France accepted, but then gave up when they realised how much travel would be involved once they had got to Brazil. In that sense, the comparisons between the 2026 tournament and 1950 are superficial; the tournaments it really resembles are 1938 and, even more so, 1974.
