FIFA President shuts door on Super Eagles World Cup hope with Iran comment

Nigeria’s hopes for a backdoor route into the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been dealt a decisive blow after FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed that Iran will participate in the tournament as scheduled this summer, Afrik Foot reports.

The decision was made after the Iranian Football team supposedly pulled out of the World Cup, amidst the war in the Middle East fueled by the involvement of the US and Israel.

American President Donald Trump also sparked reactions after saying he could not gurarantee the saftery of the Iranian team if they’re to travel to the US for the FIFA World Cup.

FIFA President shuts door on Super Eagles World Cup hope

The statement, issued last week and reiterated by FIFA in response to a proposal from United States special envoy Paolo Zampolli, effectively closes the door on any scenario in which Nigeria could benefit from Iran’s absence.

In March, Iran had indicated it would not take part in the competition, citing safety concerns following US and Israeli air strikes.

Those statements triggered widespread speculation about how FIFA might fill a potentially vacated slot, and within Nigerian football circles, hope flickered that the Super Eagles could be the beneficiaries.

That hope now appears definitively extinguished. Infantino, speaking last week in Washington, said:

“The Iranian team is coming, for sure,” the Italian said in quotes revealed by the BBC.

“We hope that by then the situation will be a peaceful one. That would definitely help. But Iran has to come if they are to represent their people.

“They have qualified, and they’re actually quite a good team as well. They really want to play, and they should play. Sports should be outside of politics.”

Zampolli, whose proposal was first reported by the Financial Times, confirmed he had suggested to both Trump and Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the tournament.

“I confirm I have suggested to Trump and Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup,” he said.

“I’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.”

The proposal was floated in part to ease diplomatic tension after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni publicly criticised Trump, and it follows a similar request Zampolli made to FIFA for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar when he served as a United Nations ambassador.

FIFA, however, declined to officially endorse the proposal, instead pointing to Infantino’s earlier statement as the governing body’s position.

Under FIFA regulations, the world body retains sole discretion on what happens should a team withdraw or be excluded from the competition.

Article six of the World Cup regulations states that FIFA “may decide to replace the Participating Member Association in question with another association”, meaning no automatic succession order exists. That ambiguity was the thin thread Nigeria’s supporters had been clinging to.

Iran are scheduled to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on 15 and 21 June respectively, and Egypt in Seattle on 26 June.

On Wednesday, Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani confirmed the nation was “fully prepared” to participate. The tournament begins on 11 June.