The head of the Iranian Football Federation has cast further doubt on his country’s participation in the Fifa World Cup, saying women playing in the Asian Cup in Australia had been coerced into defecting.
“If the World Cup is like this, who in their right mind would send their nationalteam to a place like this?” Mehdi Taj asked on Iranian state television.
The All Whites are set to open their first World Cup campaign since 2010 against Iran on June 16 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
The teams were put in Group G at the Fifa World Cup draw in December, the same event where Fifa awarded US President Donald Trump the inaugural peace prize. The USA is co-hosting the World Cup with Canada and Mexico.
Iran’s participation has been in doubt since the United States and Israel started their attacks on the nation which launched reprisals.
Five players, including captain Zahra Ghanbari, slipped away from the team hotel under the cover of darkness to claim sanctuary from Australian officials, the Australian Government announced.
At least two more team members applied to stay later in the day, according to local media.
Some of the players had been branded “wartime traitors” by Iranian state television after remaining silent during the national anthem before their opening loss to South Korea.
Every player saluted and sang the anthem before the next two group games.
Iran’s team pose for a group photo before the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026 match between Iran and the Philippines. Photo / AFP
Iran lost both those matches and were eliminated after a defeat to Philippines on Sunday.
Taj said the players had done their part during the anthem.
“Our women’s national team sang the national anthem and gave the military salute,” he said.
He blamed US President Donald Trump.
“The US President himself ... tweeted two tweets about a women’s team [saying] ‘we welcome them and that they should become refugees’.”
“He threatened Australia that ‘if you don’t grant them asylum, I will give them asylum in the US’.
“How could one be optimistic about the World Cup that is supposed to be held in America?”
Taj claimed the five women players had been kidnapped and the team had been obstructed as it tried to leave Australia.
“After the game, unfortunately, the Australian police came and intervened, removing one or two of the players from the hotel, according to the news we have.”
He made reference to an alleged airstrike on a school in Minab at the start of the war which Iran has blamed on Israel and the US.
“They martyred our girls in Minab, 160 of them, and in this incident they are taking our girls hostage,” Taj said.
“They did a terrible thing. Last night, some people came and lay down in front of the car they were driving to the airport,” he said.
Crowds had gathered outside the Gold Coast stadium for the game against the Philippines, banging drums and shouting “regime change for Iran”, an AFP reporter saw.
Supporters surrounded the Iranian team bus, chanting “let them go” and “save our girls”.
Taj said that at the airport the squad had trouble boarding their flight.
“They completely blocked them at the gate and told everyone to become refugees.”
What happens if Iran withdraw from Fifa World Cup?
Iran qualified for the World Cup after topping their group in the third round of Asian qualifying. One possible outcome if Iran withdraw or are banned from the World Cup is their place in Group G is replaced by Iraq, who earned a spot in the Inter-confederation play-offs, which take place later this month.
As it stands, Iraq will play the winner of Bolivia v Suriname on March 31 for a spot in the Fifa World Cup.
Iraq beat United Arab Emirates in the fifth round of qualifying, so are the next highest-ranked team in Asia. UAE could instead replace Iraq in that Inter-confederation play-off tournament, with Iraq moving into Group G.
Fifa has yet to confirm what will happen but is monitoring the situation in Iran.
“We had the finals draw in Washington in which all teams participated, and our focus is on a safe World Cup with all the teams participating,” Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafstrom said earlier this month.
“We will continue to communicate as we always do with three [host] governments as we always do in any case. Everybody will be safe.”
