Iran case: FIFA rules on World Cup withdrawals and replacements | OneFootball

In the event that the Asian team officially withdraws from the competition, it will face significant financial penalties and sporting sanctions. The decision regarding the vacant spot will be up to FIFA, which will have to establish a selection criterion. Details below.

The Iranian Minister of Sports has made his position clear, stating that currently “there are no conditions” for their national team to participate in the North American World Cup. Should they withdraw from the tournament, they will receive significant financial penalties and severe sanctions from FIFA, as stipulated in the regulations.

Article 6.2 of the regulations states that if a team/federation announces its withdrawal more than 30 days before the start of the World Cup, the Disciplinary Committee will impose a fine on the federation of at least 250,000 Swiss francs (USD 323,730.60).

If the withdrawal occurs within the last 30 days, the situation worsens. “If a participating federation withdraws from the World Cup in the 30 days prior to the first match of the final phase, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee will impose a fine of at least €550,000.”

Additionally, the federation that withdraws must reimburse all funds received from FIFA for the preparation of its national team, as well as any competition-related contributions received from the International Federation.

The FIFA Council, meeting in Doha last December 17, agreed to give USD 1.5 million to each qualified team to cover expenses related to tournament preparation and a total of USD 10.5 million for participating in the World Cup.

On the other hand, regarding disciplinary sanctions, the regulations state: “These disciplinary sanctions may include the exclusion of the participating federation in question from a future FIFA competition or the replacement of the participating federation by another. The FIFA Council or the relevant committee may decide, in particular, to replace said federation with another.”

If Iran definitively withdraws from the World Cup, who would replace them?

Section 6.7 of the regulations specifies that “if a participating federation withdraws or is excluded from the World Cup, FIFA may decide, in particular, to replace said federation with another.”

If Iran confirms its withdrawal from the World Cup, another federation or team from Asia should take its place, although FIFA will make the final decision. A criterion for the decision will have to be established, as the regulations do not clearly state who would occupy the vacant spot, and it is not a transitive matter.

If the federation opts for the “sporting merit” criterion, Iraq (currently in the playoffs) would qualify directly for the World Cup. Meanwhile, the playoff spot would go to the United Arab Emirates, although this will depend on the decision and stance taken by the international federation.

How FIFA handled the situation with León of Mexico in the Club World Cup

The most recent precedent for FIFA in a similar situation was at the last Club World Cup, when León of Mexico was excluded for sharing ownership with Pachuca. Their spot was decided in a match between Los Angeles FC and América, which was won by the MLS team.

At that time, sporting merit was used between the last runner-up of the Concachampions and the number one in the Concacaf club ranking (up to 2024).

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.