Iran Threatens World Cup Withdrawal

GM football fans. It’s Thursday, Mar. 12 - Iran have withdrawn from the World Cup in principle, Tudor will remain in charge for Spurs’ match against Liverpool on Sunday, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.

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UEFA Europa League Round of 16, leg 1, (Mar 12): Lille vs. Aston Villa, 17:45 GMT / 13:45 ET. Villa have scored two or more goals in nine of their last 13 European matches, but they are currently on a four-game winless run in the Premeir League. Against English opposition, Lille have only won three of their previous 19 encounters. Bologna vs. Roma, 17:45 GMT / 13:45 ET. Bologna are unbeaten in their last nine European matches and could set a new club record if they avoid defeat. Roma finished eighth in the Europa League league phase and have won the first leg in each of their last six European last 16 ties. Nottingham Forest vs. Midtjylland, 20:00 GMT / 16:00 ET. Forest are winless in their last four matches in all competitions and have won just one of their last eight home games. Meanwhile, Midtjylland finished third in the league phase with 19 points from eight matches and have lost only once in the competition so far. See every Europa League fixture here.

Results…

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Iran is not in a position to participate in the 2026 World Cup, says the country’s sports minister Ahmad Donyamali. “Considering that this corrupt ⁠regime [the US] has ⁠assassinated our leader [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei], under no circumstances ⁠can we ⁠participate in ⁠the World Cup,” the minister told ‌state television on Wednesday. He went on to say that the host country had “killed and martyred thousands” of Iranians, so “such conditions for participation do not exist.” Their withdrawal from the competition is not yet official at the time of writing.

The news came just hours after Fifa President Gianni Infantino said he met with United States President Donald Trump, who told him he welcomed Iran’s participation. "We also spoke about the current situation in Iran, ​and the fact that the Iranian team has qualified to participate in the Fifa ​World Cup 2026," Infantino said in a post on his official social media account. "During the discussions, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of ​course, welcome to compete.”

The head of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, cast doubt on his team’s participation last week, but did not say the team would boycott the tournament: "What is certain is that after these attacks, it's hard to look at the World Cup with hope."

Iran is due to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on 15 and 21 June, respectively, and Egypt in Seattle on June 26. If both the US and ​Iran finish second in their respective groups, the two countries could meet in a July 3 elimination ​match in Dallas.

Six members of the Iranian women's national team remain in Australia after accepting humanitarian visas following their elimination from the Women’s Asia Cup. Seven players were initially granted asylum, but one subsequently reversed her decision and rejoined the squad on the flight back to Iran. Each woman was taken aside at Sydney Airport to meet alone with officials who explained through interpreters that they could choose not to return to Iran.

The team had come under intense scrutiny after standing silent during Iran's national anthem before their opening Asia Cup match against South Korea. On Monday, an Iranian state television presenter labelled the players "wartime traitors" over the protest, raising serious concerns that those returning could face arrest by the regime.

Australian officials had already been working on asylum offers before US President Donald Trump publicly weighed in, writing that Australia was making a "terrible humanitarian mistake by allowing the team to be forced back to Iran." Despite the criticism, officials moved to reassure the public that every woman had been given a genuine opportunity to stay. By Wednesday, many Australian newspaper front pages featured photos of the women who had accepted asylum, with headlines such as "Brave New Aussies."

Igor Tudor is set to take charge of Tottenham in Sunday's Premier League game at Liverpool despite mounting pressure over his position. Criticism of the Croatian manager hit a peak after he substituted his goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky just 17 minutes into Tuesday’s Champions League last 16 loss to Atletico Madrid.

Tudor, who was brought in for his track record of sparking immediate improvements at clubs like Juventus and Lazio, has lost all four matches as interim boss following Thomas Frank's sacking last month. Spurs are just one point above the relegation zone and have not won a Premier League game since December 28.

Sources have told the BBC that members of the Tottenham squad are unconvinced that Tudor can guide them away from relegation. Analysis suggests that relegation could cost the club as much as £261m overall, a detrimental figure for the ninth-wealthiest club in the world (see the full list).

> Crystal Palace face AEK Larnaca in the Uefa Conference League round of 16 on Thursday (Mar 12); see the full list of fixtures (More)

> A group led by American businessman David Storch has been named as the preferred bidder for Sheffield Wednesday (More)

> Coventry City maintained their eight-point lead at the top of the Championship following their 3-0 win over Preston (More); see the Championship table (More)

> The lobby group for non-elite teams in Europe has proposed a radical new model for distributing the almost £4bn generated by Uefa’s club competitions (More)

> Dozens of US Congresspeople have signed and sent a letter to Fifa expressing "great concern" regarding World Cup ticket prices and the financial burdens on host cities (More)

> The United States men's national team will set up its World Cup training base at Great Park Sports Complex in Irvine, California, this summer (More)

> Nashville vs. Inter Miami in the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 will conclude shortly after publication; see live results and upcoming fixtures (More); Lionel Messi could reach 900 career goals (More) | Mexico national team goalkeeper Luis Angel Malagon’s World Cup hopes are in doubt after suffering a "serious injury" during Tuesday's Concacaf Champions Cup win over the Philadelphia Union (More)

> The NWSL will award its 18th franchise this year, with the team to begin play in 2028 (More)

> Japan's Vissel Kobe has secured a spot in the AFC Champions League quarterfinals following a 2-1 triumph over South Korea's FC Seoul (More)

Yesterday’s Poll: Should mid-table Premier League teams prioritise Cup runs or push for European qualification?

🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ 🏆 Cup runs (47%)

🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🌍 European qualification (51%)

🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (2%)

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Question: What do the following clubs have in common?

Liverpool. Inter Miami. AEK Athens. Sheffield Wednesday. Brighton.

Scroll below for the answer.

Daily Wordle: Guess the football-related word, from player names to classic phrases, in six tries or fewer. Play it here.

Answer

They all feature birds in their club identity or badge.