Countries withdrawing from World Cup 2026: Germany and Iran threaten to pull out

With the 2026 World Cup set to kick off in June, discussions surrounding the tournament have intensified in recent weeks. Growing tensions involving the United States, one of the three host nations, and several other countries have raised concerns about the atmosphere around football’s biggest event.

Amid the situation, talk of a potential boycott has begun to surface. In this article, nowgoalmobi takes a closer look at the issue of countries withdrawing from World Cup 2026, while also revisiting notable cases of national teams pulling out of the tournament throughout history.

Countries withdrawing from World Cup 2026: Germany and Iran hint at potential withdrawal

With only a few months remaining before the World Cup kicks off in the United States, Mexico and Canada, uncertainty has begun to surround Iran’s participation in the tournament.

Tensions escalated after reports that the United States and Israel were involved in an attack that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In response to the situation, Iranian football officials have raised doubts about whether the national team will travel to the tournament this summer.

Mehdi Taj, president of the Iranian Football Federation, suggested that participation now appears uncertain. He said: "With what happened today and with that attack by the United States, it is unlikely that we can look forward to the World Cup, but the sports chiefs are the ones who must decide on that."

The federation has already taken steps domestically, suspending the Iranian football league until further notice. The decision also affects a number of foreign players currently competing in the country.

If Iran ultimately withdraws, the financial consequences could be significant. Announcing a withdrawal more than 30 days before the 11 June opening match would result in a minimum fine of 250,000 Swiss francs. Pulling out within 30 days of the tournament would increase the penalty to at least 500,000.

In addition, the Iranian federation would likely be required to repay funds received from FIFA, including around 1.5 million dollars allocated for tournament preparation and a further 10.5 million dollars awarded for participation.

Iran are currently scheduled to play all three of their group stage matches in the United States. Their campaign would begin against New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June, followed by a meeting with Belgium at the same venue on 21 June. The final group fixture is set for 26 June in Seattle against Egypt.

Should Iran be forced to withdraw from the competition, the United Arab Emirates are widely viewed as the most likely replacement. Although the UAE finished behind Iraq during Asian qualifying, Iraq are already preparing for an intercontinental play off against either Bolivia or Suriname later this spring.

Another scenario could see Iraq take Iran’s place at the World Cup, with the UAE stepping into the play off position instead.

Iran may not be the only nation considering a withdrawal from the 2026 World Cup. Earlier in January, German politician Jurgen Hardt of the CDU suggested in an interview with BILD that Germany could also contemplate pulling out of the tournament. He stressed that such a step would only be viewed as a “last resort” aimed at persuading Donald Trump to “see sense.”

Debate around the issue has also surfaced within German football leadership. Oke Göttlich, vice president of the German Football Federation, told the newspaper Hamburger Morgenpost that it was time to “seriously consider and discuss” the possibility of a boycott. He drew a comparison between the current tensions and the Olympic boycotts that took place during the Cold War.

Relations between the United States and several European countries have been strained in recent months. Trump’s proposal to take control of Greenland, a semi autonomous territory belonging to NATO member Denmark, triggered criticism across Europe. The situation escalated further after he threatened to impose tariffs on eight European nations that opposed the plan, including Germany.

Should Germany decide not to participate in this summer’s tournament, it would mark the tenth instance of a national team boycotting the World Cup. Throughout the competition’s history, such decisions have been made for a range of reasons, from political disputes to other strategic considerations.

Lists of countries that had withdrawn throughout World Cup history

Uruguay - 1934 World Cup

Uruguay - 1938 World Cup

Argentina - 1938 World Cup

Austria - 1938 World Cup

India - 1950 World Cup

Turkey - 1950 World Cup

Scotland - 1950 World Cup

France - 1950 World Cup

15 African nations - 1966 World Cup

Soviet Union - 1974 World Cup

Nowgoalmobi.net highlights the countries withdrawing from World Cup 2026 and looks back at teams that have withdrawn from the World Cup throughout history.

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