World Cup: If Iran pulls out, here's who will replace them!

World Cup 2026: If Iran withdraws, no European team will be called up—the spot will remain with an Asian national team.

The possibility of Iran being replaced at the 2026 World Cup continues to spark debate, but one thing is becoming clear: Europe won't be involved. If Iran does pull out—however unlikely—the spot will stay within the Asian confederation.

See also: World Cup: Italy responds to Trump's proposal to replace Iran

According to internal sources, FIFA would stick to a clear principle: maintaining the balance between confederations. With nine places allocated to Asia, any Iranian withdrawal would logically benefit another team from the same region.

In this scenario, the United Arab Emirates stand out as the main potential beneficiaries. The idea of a European team being called up—especially Italy—is thus completely ruled out, as it does not comply with the predetermined allocation rules.

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

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