The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said on Monday that it has not received any official communication from the Iran Football Federation indicating that Iran intends to withdraw from the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Iran have already secured qualification for the expanded 48-team tournament, scheduled to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. The team is currently scheduled to play two group-stage matches in Los Angeles and another in Seattle.

Speculation about Iran’s participation intensified after the country’s sports minister reportedly suggested it would be impossible for the national team to attend the tournament following recent U.S. airstrikes carried out alongside Israel against Tehran. The strikes were said to have killed the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader, escalating tensions in the region.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump said last week that Iran would be welcome to compete at the World Cup, but expressed concerns about the safety of the team if it participated.

Responding to the situation, AFC General Secretary Windsor John said the continental body had not received any formal withdrawal notice from Iran’s football authorities.

“It’s a very emotional moment. Everybody’s saying a lot of things,” John told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.

“At the end of the day, it’s the federation that should decide if they’re playing, and as of today, the federation has told us that they are going to the World Cup.

“They are our members, and we want them to play. They qualified, and we hope they will resolve whatever issues they have and be able to participate.”

An official withdrawal by Iran from football’s global showpiece would be unprecedented in the modern era and would force FIFA to determine a replacement team for the tournament urgently.

The 2026 World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19.

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Thousands of Mexicans packed the heart of their capital on Sunday to kick, pass, and celebrate their way into the record books, turning one of the world’s most iconic public squares into the largest football class ever recorded.

Mexico City’s Zocalo — a vast stone plaza that has witnessed revolutions, earthquakes and papal visits — hosted 9,500 people for a roughly 40-minute mass training session that shattered the previous Guinness World Record, set in Seattle with 1,038 participants.

“We registered 9,500 people today, so I have ​the fortune of telling you that as of now, you are ‘officially amazing’, congratulations,” Guinness World Records judge Alfredo Arista said ​at the end of the class.

“Today we broke this great Guinness World Record, more than 9,000 people gathered ⁠and showed that we are capable of achieving the extraordinary and the impossible,” said Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada after receiving the award.

“With ​this record, the city sends a message to the world: ‘Sport, soccer, is the universal language, a language of peace that needs no translation.’ ​Congratulations Mexico City, today we kick off the World Cup,” she added.

The event forms part of a broader campaign dubbed the “Social World Cup”.

In the crowd were families in green, white and red jerseys, children clutching black and golden footballs, elderly neighbours stretching alongside professional coaches as instructors led drills under a clear morning sky, ​with the sound of cathedral bells in the background.

Among those present on the stage were members of the Mexico women’s team that won ​the 1971 Women’s World Cup, an unofficial tournament held in Mexico City that drew some of the largest crowds in the history of the women’s game, as ‌well ⁠as former male players like goalkeeper Oscar “El Conejo” Perez.

A RECORD WITH A SHADOW

However, the celebration had undertones of national tension.

“I’m excited about the World Cup, but there are a lot of political issues in the country right now,” participant Paulina Rosas told Reuters, reflecting the concerns of many Mexicans amid recent cartel violence.

Last month, the Mexican army killed Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, also known as ‘El Mencho ‘, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation ​Cartel (CJNG). This triggered reprisals across multiple ​states, bringing Guadalajara — one of ⁠the three Mexican cities hosting the World Cup — to a near standstill.

For weeks, there has been uncertainty, with President Claudia Sheinbaum even reinforcing that there will be security guarantees.

Despite this, people are still hopeful about Mexico’s ​third time hosting the World Cup. Co-hosted with the United States and Canada, the tournament will begin ​with an opening ⁠match at the Estadio Azteca on June 11.

“If we maintain this spirit, I’m sure we’ll enjoy it,” Rosas added.

That spirit was evident outside the main square, where the festive atmosphere continued. People played “cascarita”, an informal form of football around the perimeter, while many were dancing to the rhythms of ⁠a “batucada” percussion ​band.

“The class was pretty simple, and a lot of people here don’t even know ​how to play football, but that wasn’t the point, it’s about the people, the community,” said 67-year-old Pedro Garcia.

For many of those standing shoulder-to-shoulder in Zocalo on Sunday morning, ​it felt like a warm-up for what is to come in June.

-Reuters

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By Kunle Solaja.

Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo have been sanctioned by FIFA following disciplinary incidents that occurred during their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying encounter.

According to FIFA’s latest disciplinary overview released for the World Cup qualifiers, both the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Congolese Football Association were found guilty of separate infractions during the match played on 16 November 2025.

FIFA stated that Nigeria was penalised for a breach relating to order and security at matches, specifically involving the throwing of objects by spectators. The offence falls under Article 17and Article 17.2.b of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, and the NFF was consequently fined 1,000 Swiss Francs.

On their part, the DR Congo federation received a heavier sanction after supporters were found to have used laser pointers or similar electronic devices during the match. The act contravenes Article 17.2.d of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, leading FIFA to impose a 5,000Swiss Francs fine on the Congolese body.

FIFA emphasised that disciplinary decisions are taken based on the circumstances of each case and may still be subject to appeal. The governing body also noted that the document summarising the sanctions is intended mainly as information for the media, while the official legal decisions are communicated directly to the parties involved.

The Nigeria–DR Congo fixture was among several World Cup qualifying matches worldwide that attracted disciplinary scrutiny, with national associations and players sanctioned for a variety of offences ranging from crowd disturbances to player misconduct.

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