It has been revealed who could replace the Iran national team at the 2026 World Cup

The Iran national team may not participate in the 2026 World Cup, and in that case, its place would likely be taken by another team from the Asian Football Confederation.

As reported by BAKU.WS with reference to ESPN, the most likely candidate to replace them is the Iraq national team.

On March 31, the Iraqi team will play in the final of the intercontinental playoff against the winner of the Bolivia - Suriname matchup. If Iraq loses that match, it could be the team to receive the spot at the World Cup instead of Iran.

If the Iraqi team wins and qualifies for the tournament directly through the playoff, the next contender would be the United Arab Emirates team. The UAE previously lost to Iraq in the final of the Asian qualification and are next in line among AFC teams.