Football there is struggling to deal with the fallout from the conflict. Iran’s disrupted World Cup preparationsAs Tehran is bombarded, Iran’s national team continues with preparations for a World Cup in which, as things stand, they are unlikely to participate. The main talking point regarding the national team currently is the exclusion of Sardar Azmoun. View image in fullscreen Uzbekistan’s Khojiakbar Alijonov and Abdukodir Khusanov vie for the ball against UAE’s Ali Saleh during a 2026 World Cup qualifier in June. While there are bigger issues, this is a clear setback for the national team.

Source: The Guardian March 24, 2026 22:12 UTC