Discussions have intensified about which team will take the place of the Iranian national football team, which has withdrawn from the World Cup to be held in the USA, Canada, and Mexico in the summer.
Medianews.az, referring to Teleqraf, reports that FIFA is more inclined to fill Iran's vacant spot with a representative from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iraq are mentioned as the most realistic candidates. One of the main scenarios under consideration is allowing Iraq direct entry to the final stage, with its playoff spot being given to the UAE.
According to another possibility, the highly ranked UAE should participate directly in the tournament, while Iraq would play the predetermined playoff match. Although the idea of bringing Nigeria into this spot has been voiced, according to the regulations, substitution from the same continent is considered more logical.
It should be noted that Iran was supposed to be in the same group as Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand in the tournament.