"Boycott of the World Cup of Shock" is another twist, and AFC Secretary-General "Notice of participation in the World Cup."

*This content was translated by AI.

Iranian football, which surprised the world by hinting at the absence of the 2026 FIFA 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup in the aftermath of the U.S.-Israel airstrikes, is said to still be willing to participate in the World Cup.

According to foreign media such as ESPN and Ashark Al-Ausat on the 16th (Korea Standard Time), Windsor John, secretary-general of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), said at a press conference at the AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, "In the end, it is up to the Iranian Football Association to decide whether to play or not. Today, the Iranian Football Association has informed us of its intention to participate in the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup," he said.

Secretary-General John then said, "The Iranian Football Association is a member of our (AFC) and we hope they will play in the World Cup," adding, "Iran is a team that has passed World Cup qualifying." I hope to solve any problems and participate in the competition," he added.

Recently, the Iranian government hinted at not attending 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup, coupled with the unstable situation such as US airstrikes. Ahmad Donyamali, Iran's Minister of Sports and Youth, declared on the 12th, "As the corrupt regime (US) assassinated our leader (Ayatollah Khamenei), it is impossible to participate in the World Cup under any circumstances." It was the first World Cup boycott declaration by an Iranian government official amid speculation.

Iran, which belongs to the group with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand in Group G of the World Cup, coincidentally, all three group games are scheduled in the United States. While the top leader was killed in a U.S. airstrike, participation in the World Cup in the U.S. was inevitably burdensome, and furthermore, problems such as the safety of the Iranian national team in the country were also large, leading to a declaration of boycott of the World Cup. If Iran does not attend the actual World Cup, it will be the first time in 76 years since the 1950 tournament, and Ashark Al-Ausat said, "It is the first time in modern soccer history."

However, three days later, Minister Donyamali said, "I hope there will be conditions for our players to participate in the World Cup." All sports aspects must be carefully considered to maintain the possibility of participating in the World Cup," he said, reportedly considering changing the venue for the group stage to Mexico rather than the United States.

On top of that, Iran's "World Cup Boycott," which shook the world, has entered a new phase, saying that the AFC Secretary-General confirmed the Iranian Football Association's willingness to participate in the World Cup instead of notifying the Iranian Football Association of absence. ESPN said, "Secretary-General Windsor John said that in the AFC, we have not seen any signs that Iran will not play in the World Cup," adding, "Iran is still willing to play in the World Cup in June."

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*This content was translated by AI.