Who would replace Iran if FIFA expel the nation from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar?
In a group with the United States, England and Wales, the highest football body received a formal request for Iran’s exclusion for the tournament.
Just a month before the start of the World Cup in Qatar 2022, one of the current global political conflicts has reached the desks of FIFA, with a special request to expel one of the 32 participating nations in the showpiece competition. Iran, a team that due to political conflict and mistreatment of women is at risk of being left out.
Could Iran be kicked out of 2022 World Cup?
The petition, if successful, would see the expulsion of the team that is scheduled to be the group rival of the United States, England and Wales.
Through the Spanish law firm Huerta & Crespo, various Iranian personalities, including stars of sport, as well as the journalist, activist and defender of women’s rights, Masih Alinejad, sent the letter to FIFA with this request.
“A group of Iranian sports and football personalities announces that in collaboration with the law firm Ruiz-Huerta & Crespo, has formally sent to FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino, a request to suspend the Iranian Football Federation, with immediate effect and effectively apply a suspension of the next World Cup that will start next November 20,” the statement read.
The main arguments put forward are due to the brutality with which the country is seen to be treating its own inhabitants, especially women, which is why they call on FIFA not to ignore what is going on.
“Iran's brutality and belligerence towards its own people have reached a tipping point that calls for an unequivocal and firm disassociation from the world of football and sport. FIFA's historical abstention from political conflicts has only been tolerated when these situations do not metastasize in the football sphere. Football, which should be a safe place for everyone, is not a safe space for women not even for men. Women have been systematically denied access to stadiums across the country and systematically excluded from the football ecosystem in Iran, which is in contrast to FIFA's values,” the letter continues.
After receiving the letter from the legal group and Iranian athletes and activists, the highest soccer body has not issued a position on this request, which has spread globally and could lead to expulsion of Iran from the World Cup that will start in less than 30 days.
Who would replace Iran at World Cup?
If FIFA decided to exclude Iran from Qatar 2022, thoughts would immediately turn to who would come in to replace them. On the assumption, of course, that the decision wasn’t to leave the group with three teams for a round robin between the US, England and Wales.
In terms of replacements, one that could be considered would be Ukraine, who lost out to Wales at the final hurdle. Although that would be seen by many as a positive reward for the pain being caused by Russia’s illegal and brutal invasion of the country, it would mean an uneven number of representatives from the European continent. As the losing nation out of the same federation, the United Arab Emirates may be a more obvious choice.
Clearly if FIFA were to make this big stance, other countries would likely make their case.