Every nation to withdraw from World Cup as Iran considers 2026 USA boycott
Iran are reportedly contemplating boycotting the 2026 World Cup in the USA following escalating tensions in the Middle East, which would mark a historic first for a qualified nation withdrawing for political reasons
Iran has qualified for the World Cup this summer but could pull out due to the war with President Donald Trump, the US and Israel
Iran could be on the verge of boycotting the 2026 World Cup due to escalating tensions in the Middle East, sparked by a US-Israeli-backed bombing campaign.
The airstrikes resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, raising doubts about the country’s participation in the upcoming World Cup.
Despite leading their group in Asian qualifying, there are reports from Iran suggesting they might withdraw following the recent attack.
This could pose a significant challenge for FIFA’s top officials, especially as no qualified nation has ever boycotted the World Cup for political reasons.
That’s not to say countries haven’t pulled out of qualifying for political reasons, or even the main tournament for other reasons.
With speculation that Iran may boycott the 2026 World Cup, the Mirror has spotlighted previous instances where nations have withdrawn from World Cup events due to political situations.
Uruguay withdrew from the 1934 World Cup
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Uruguay, the reigning World Champions at the time, were invited to participate in the second edition of the tournament in 1934, reports the Mirror.
However, they chose to withdraw in protest against several European teams’ refusal to travel to South America for the 1930 World Cup held in Uruguay.
The 1934 World Cup remains the only one where the defending champions did not participate.
Austria pulled out of the 1938 World Cup
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Austria was tipped as one of the favourites for the 1938 World Cup, but due to the annexation of the country by Nazi forces before the tournament, they were unable to participate.
Some Austrian players joined the German team for the tournament, but this did not include star player Matthias Sindelar, an icon at the time, who refused to play for the Nazi-led nation.
India withdrew after ‘barefoot’ claim
India has only qualified for one World Cup, but the Asian nation has never actually competed. This was in 1950 when India advanced to the finals by default due to other teams withdrawing from qualifying, but they chose not to attend the tournament.
Contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t because FIFA banned barefoot play (as India had done at the Olympics two years earlier), but rather due to issues with travel costs, training time, and team selection.
No African teams participated in the 1966 World Cup
The 1966 tournament is fondly remembered in England, but one detail that often gets overlooked is the lack of African teams.
This was a result of African teams boycotting the qualifying rounds in protest against FIFA’s decision to allocate only one combined spot for the African, Asian and Oceania confederations.
Chile qualify for 1974 World Cup following ghost game
The closest we’ve come to seeing a qualified nation boycott the World Cup finals on political grounds was during the intercontinental playoff between Chile and the Soviet Union in 1973.
The Soviet Union refused to participate in the second leg held in Santiago, protesting against Augusto Pinochet’s brutal dictatorship.
Pinochet had overthrown the socialist government, turning Chile from a former Soviet ally into an opponent. As a result, the Chilean team took to the field alone, with captain Francisco Valdes scoring into an empty net before the match was abandoned.
2022 World Cup protests
In recent times, boycott threats have been scarce, but tensions did arise during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
All 32 qualifying teams took part in the tournament, but some players staged protests over alleged human rights abuses and the country’s contentious record on LGBT issues.
