What happens next for Seattle after Iran pulls out of FIFA World Cup?

Iran pulls out of FIFA World Cup, Seattle match amid ongoing war

Seattle faces an uncertain future when it comes to the FIFA World Cup this summer, as Iran's sports minister said the country's team cannot play in the United States.

SEATTLE - Seattle faces an uncertain future when it comes to the World Cup this summer as Iran’s sports minister said the country’s team cannot play in the United States.

This declaration follows the ongoing war between the United States, Israel and Iran.

Iran was set to take on Egypt on June 26 at Lumen Field.

A view of FIFA World Cup 26' Winner Trophy as draw for the 2026 World Cup European qualifiers kicks off in the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland on December 13, 2024. The opponents of the Turkish National Football Team will be determined. (Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images)

What they're saying:

After nearly two weeks of war – and more than 1200 killed, Iran’s sports minister said in a statement following the violence against his country, its team cannot play.

"Given the malicious actions they have carried out against Iran, they have forced two wars on us over eight or nine months and have killed and martyred thousands of our people. Therefore, we certainly cannot have such a presence."

-Iranian Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali

According to FIFA Seattle, no changes have been made yet.

"All match scheduling decisions rest with FIFA. At this time, SeattleFWC26 has not received any communication from FIFA indicating a change to our current match schedule, and our work continues uninterrupted." 

- Hana Tadesse, Vice President of Communications, Seattle FIFA World Cup 26™

On his Instagram, FIFA's president said President Donald Trump welcomes the Iranian team to play in the United States.

And on FIFA’s main page, the Iran versus Egypt game is still posted.

"I just don't see a feasible way that Iran is going to be a part of the World Cup," said Niko Moreno, a local soccer analyst and journalist.

What's next:

Moreno says regardless of Iran’s decision, the June 26 game in Seattle will be played.

"There's just so many different options. I think the next four months will be exactly that, figuring out who is going to be taking that spot for Iran and what are the benefits for viewership and what are the benefits for FIFA and how much can they do to make sure that there is enough participation from certain federations," he said.

The most likely front-runner for the match if Iran does drop out is Iraq. However, analysts say it’s not that simple.

According to FIFA regulations, if a team drops out, FIFA decides at its sole discretion as to how to move forward and who to replace the team with.

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