TEHRAN: The president of the Iranian Football Federation said late Saturday that if Iran dropped out of the World Cup, it would deprive the country of a &quot;major diplomatic asset.&quot; Mehdi Taj was speaking after the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) said on Saturday that Iran would take part in the men&#39;s football showpiece this summer despite the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/usisrael-war-on-iran-day-11" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Middle East War</a>, but demanded that joint hosts the United States, Mexico and Canada agree to its conditions. &quot;If we do not participate in the World Cup, we will lose a major diplomatic asset,&quot; Taj said in an interview broadcast late Saturday on state television. Iran&#39;s participation in the tournament has been surrounded by uncertainty since the outbreak of war in February, following&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/state-funeral-for-ayatollah-khamenei-to-begin-wednesday-evening" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">strikes</a>&nbsp;carried out by the United States and Israel against the Middle Eastern country. But on Saturday, the FFIRI said on its official website: &quot;We will definitely participate in the 2026 World Cup, but the hosts must take our concerns into account. &quot;We will participate in the World Cup tournament, but without any retreat from our beliefs, culture, and convictions.&quot; Taj has set&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-says-will-play-in-world-cup-demands-hosts-accept-conditions" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">10 conditions</a>&nbsp;for attending the global spectacle, seeking assurances over the country&#39;s treatment. The conditions include visas being granted and respect for the national team staff, the team&#39;s flag and its national anthem during the tournament, as well as demands for elevated security at airports, hotels and routes to the stadiums where they will play. World football&#39;s governing body FIFA has insisted for weeks that Iran will take part. Iran, who are due to be based in Tucson, Arizona, during the World Cup, face New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt in Group G. The Iranians open their World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15.

Iran's flag is displayed on a screen during the draw for the 2026 FIFA Football World Cup taking place in the US, Canada and Mexico, at the Kennedy Center, in Washington, DC, on December 5, 2025. (AFP)

Football

Iran says it will participate in the 2026 World Cup despite the on-going Middle East War, while seeking guarantees, visa access and respect for its flag, anthem and staff from United States, Mexico and Canada

Iran at the World Cup a 'major diplomatic asset': Football chief

PARIS: An envoy to US President Donald Trump has asked world football&#39;s governing body FIFA to replace Iran with Italy at the World Cup, according to the Financial Times. US special envoy Paolo Zampolli told the FT it would be a &quot;dream&quot; to see four-time World Cup winners Italy at the finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada, despite having lost in a qualification playoff last month. The suggestion was an effort to repair ties between Trump and Giorgia Meloni after the Italian prime minister fell out with the president after criticizing his attack on Pope Leo XIV over the Iran war, the newspaper reported. &quot;I confirm I have suggested to Trump and (FIFA President Gianni) Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup. I&#39;m an Italian native and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri at a US-hosted tournament. With four titles, they have the pedigree to justify inclusion,&quot; Zampolli told the FT. Italy missed out on the World Cup for the third successive time after losing a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina in their qualifying playoff final. Iran&#39;s participation in the World Cup has been thrown into doubt by the war with the US and Israel that broke out on Feb. 28. The Iranian football federation (FFIRI) had said in April it was &quot;negotiating&quot; with FIFA to relocate the country&#39;s World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico. But Infantino told AFP last month, while attending Iran&#39;s friendly against Costa Rica in Turkey, that Iran will be at the World Cup and that they will play &quot;where they are supposed to be, according to the draw.&quot; Zampolli is an Italian-American socialite, businessman and former modeling agent who claims to have introduced Trump to his current wife, Melania Trump.

DR Congo's defender #04 Axel Tuanzebe (R) celebrates after scoring a goal in extra time during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers final playoff football match between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Jamaica at the Akron Stadium in Zapopan, Jalisc

Paolo Zampolli suggests to Donald Trump and FIFA that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup, despite officials insisting Iran will still participate.

Trump envoy wants Italy to replace Iran at World Cup: Report 

OSLO: Several hundred people demonstrated and expressed support for the Palestinian cause in Oslo on Saturday as Israel faced Norway in a football World Cup qualifier, AFP journalists reported. Activists briefly unfurled a giant Palestinian flag and a large banner reading &quot;Let Children Live&quot; inside the Ullevaal Stadium, where only several dozen Israeli fans could be seen waving their country&#39;s flag and a banner reading &quot;Let the Ball Talk!&quot;. A pro-Palestinian activist was forcibly removed from the stands. Whistling could be heard during the Israeli national anthem and the Israeli players were booed before the game. Several hours before the match, hundreds of people attended a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Oslo, chanting &quot;Free Palestine&quot; to protest against Israel&#39;s &quot;genocide&quot;. Many demonstrators wore Palestinian keffiyeh shawls draped over their shoulders and waved Palestinian flags as they gathered in the city centre before marching to the stadium. Smoke flares were lit but the atmosphere remained calm. &quot;The message today is to say we give the red card to Israel, to apartheid, and to genocide,&quot; said Line Khateeb, the head of the Norwegian Committee for Palestine, one of the organisers of the protest. &quot;We do not accept football being used to whitewash war crimes, as we see today when Israel participates in the World Cup qualification games,&quot; she told AFP. Demonstrators carried banners reading &quot;Exclude Israel from International Football&quot;, &quot;From the River to the Sea&quot;, &quot;Red Card to Israel&quot; and &quot;It&#39;s a Genocide, Not a War&quot;. &quot;Israel has been committing genocide for the last two years and killing indiscriminately, doing the most horrible thing that could be imaginable,&quot; one of the demonstrators, Munib Sarwar, a 40-year-old engineer, told AFP. &quot;We need to show solidarity with the children and the people of Gaza who have been terrorised for the last two years,&quot; he added. &quot;It&#39;s not the end of the occupation. It doesn&#39;t mean the West Bank is free. It doesn&#39;t mean Palestine is free. We need to keep pushing and putting sanctions on Israel to hold them accountable in order to have a proper free Palestine,&quot; Khateeb said. Heavy security was in place for the match. Dozens of police officers on horseback and others in riot gear were posted near the stadium, an AFP journalist saw. The head of the Norwegian football association, Lise Klaveness, recently said she was pushing &quot;for Israel to be sanctioned&quot;. &quot;Personally, I think that if Russia is excluded, Israel should be as well,&quot; she said in a Norwegian podcast. Several days after Russia&#39;s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, UEFA and FIFA agreed to exclude Russian teams and clubs from all international competitions, a sanction that remains in place. The Norwegian Football Association has previously said it would donate the proceeds from the ticket sales for Saturday&#39;s match to Doctors Without Borders. With five victories in five matches, Norway top Group I of European qualifying with 15 points ahead of Italy and Israel, who both have nine points.

Several hundred spectators protested Israel’s participation in a World Cup qualifier, demanding its exclusion from international football and condemning “genocide” in Gaza, while Norwegian authorities maintained tight security around the pro-Palestinian demonstration and stadium

Pro-Palestinian march, actions at Israel v Norway match

Mariam Ellahi

ISLAMABAD: As the final whistle blew at Islamabad&rsquo;s Jinnah Stadium on Thursday night, the scoreboard read 0-0, &nbsp;but for the crowd spilling out into the cool evening air, the result meant more than just numbers.&nbsp;For many fans, it was an evening of renewed belief that football in Pakistan is finally finding its rhythm. Inside the stadium, Pakistan and Afghanistan fought a tense, end-to-end battle in their AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifier. Both sides pressed hard, but neither could break the deadlock.&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s defense, led by Sweden-based Abdullah Iqbal, kept Afghanistan&rsquo;s forwards at bay, while Shayak Dost and Ahmed Faraz came close on the counter. The biggest moment came when Otis Khan&rsquo;s penalty kick flew over the bar, a miss that drew collective gasps from the stands.&nbsp;But outside the stadium, disappointment quickly gave way to pride and optimism.&nbsp;&ldquo;This was a really positive performance for Pakistan,&rdquo; said Zain, a university student draped in a green flag. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve faced so many hardships in our football journey, but today felt different. You could feel the energy. The new faces, the fight. It gives hope to every young footballer dreaming of wearing that green shirt one day.&rdquo;&nbsp;Nearby, Saif, another football enthusiast, praised both teams for their spirit. &ldquo;It was a close, cutting-edge contest,&rdquo; he told Pakistan TV Digital. &ldquo;Pakistan missed a few chances, but the brotherhood between Pakistani and Afghan fans was beautiful. We were joking, cheering together, it felt like football was uniting us.&rdquo;&nbsp;The match also drew fans who usually follow cricket, signaling a cultural shift. Rimsha, a former athlete attending her first live football game, said the sight of packed stands gave her goosebumps.&nbsp;&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve grown up in a cricket-crazy country,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;but tonight showed that Pakistanis love football too. It&rsquo;s amazing to see families, women, and kids all here supporting the team.&rdquo;&nbsp;Head coach Nolberto Solano, speaking after the match, echoed the fans&rsquo; optimism. &ldquo;These players have shown great effort and commitment,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;They deserve more opportunities to compete at this level, and more support from the nation.&rdquo;&nbsp;As fans drifted out into the Islamabad night, flags still waving and chants echoing faintly, one thing was clear: even without goals, Pakistan&rsquo;s football revival has found its heartbeat and its believers.

AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifier - Pakistan vs Afghanistan (PFF)

Pakistan will face Afghanistan again on October 14 in Kuwait, where both teams will fight for their first win in Group E. With morale high after Islamabad’s draw, Pakistan aims to convert promise into points.

Pakistan, Afghanistan battle to goalless stalemate in Asian Cup qualifier

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: The Afghanistan national football team arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday evening to face Pakistan in a high-stakes AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 qualifier, marking a rare and symbolic sporting encounter between the neighboring countries.&nbsp;The team flew in from Dubai and landed at 7 pm, ahead of the match scheduled for Thursday at 2 pm at the Jinnah Sports Complex, a 48,000-capacity stadium in the heart of Pakistan&rsquo;s capital.&nbsp;The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) confirmed the arrival, with its president, Syed Mohsen Gilani, thanking the federal government for facilitating the Afghan team&rsquo;s travel and coordination.&nbsp;Gilani also acknowledged the efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, Pakistan Sports Board, and Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination in ensuring smooth arrangements.&nbsp;Security and logistical preparations at the venue have been finalized, and a strong turnout of fans is expected for what promises to be an emotionally charged fixture.&nbsp;The qualifier is part of the road to the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, which will take place in Saudi Arabia from January 7 to February 5, 2027. The first time the Kingdom will host Asia&rsquo;s premier football tournament.&nbsp;The competition, featuring 24 teams across eight stadiums in three cities, also doubles as part of the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, giving both Pakistan and Afghanistan added incentive to perform.&nbsp;This match not only holds sporting significance but also highlights growing regional football engagement amid broader diplomatic challenges, a rare moment where sport once again bridges divides in South Asia.

Afghanistan’s national football team arrived in Islamabad after receiving special visas facilitated by Pakistan’s government, ahead of their AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifier, a rare cross-border sporting event symbolizing regional cooperation through football.

Articles tagged with "2026 FIFA World Cup"

Iran at the World Cup a 'major diplomatic asset': Football chief

Trump envoy wants Italy to replace Iran at World Cup: Report

Pro-Palestinian march, actions at Israel v Norway match

Pakistan, Afghanistan battle to goalless stalemate in Asian Cup qualifier

Afghan football team lands in Pakistan for Asian Cup clash