Iran and the United States are at war; people are dying, people are suffering, and in this context the world of football is absolutely irrelevant.
This being said, Iran has qualified for the World Cup and they are set to play its matches in group G in Los Angeles and Seattle. But what now? Will Iran retire from the World Cup in a country they are at war with? While a lot of things can happen over the next few months, this is a real risk, and if it happens, Iran would likely have to be replaced by Iraq, who in this moment is set to play a play-off final in Guadalajara against either Bolivia or Suriname. But being the next Asian participant in line, they would take Iran's spot, and the United Arab Emirates, as the next in line, would take Iraq's place in the play-off.
I hope it does not come to this. I hope the world will be standing, and that Iran will participate with its great team and fans to celebrate a world in which I hope that football brings people together, because we certainly need that...
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