What happened when US played Iran at World Cup during political tensions

The United States and Iran are once again locked in extreme political tensions 28 years after a memorable meeting at the World Cup in France.

Just months before the showpiece in the North America, the US and Israel launched a joint military operation against Iran on Saturday.

The Donald Trump administration announced "major combat operations" and urged Iranians to overthrow their government once action had been finalised.

Strikes targeted multiple locations in Iran, with the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei killed in capital Tehran.

In retaliation, Iran fired a series of drones and missiles which hit other Gulf nations with US military bases - specifically in Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, and Bahrain.

Many flights to the Middle East were cancelled amid the chaos and there are fears about whether Iran will participate in the upcoming World Cup, where they were drawn in Group G and have all of their fixtures on US soil.

America and Iran have been locked in fiery geopolitics before, with relations non-existent after the storming of the US embassy in Tehran in 1979.

That led to a hostage crisis which lasted more than 400 days and nearly 20 years on, the US and Iran were both drawn in Group F at the 1998 World Cup.

The US and Iran met in the 1998 World Cup. Image: Getty

Iraq’s invasion of Iran in 1980 only added to the tensions, with the latter accusing the US of aiding their rivals by selling arms.

As per BBC, just one month before the meeting, the US State Department described Iran as the "most active" state sponsor of terrorism.

But both sets of players decided to make a powerful political statement. During a period of unrest, Iran players gifted US stars a bouquet of white roses and they responded by handing over US-branded pennants.

The two squads smiled and posed together for a picture. Based in California, Jalal Talebi managed Iran at the time and spoke to ESPN about the symbolic gesture.

"We decided to make something special," Talebi reflected.

"Let us go inside and give them nice flowers to say that we are here for peace. We are not here for fighting or anything."

Iran won 2-1 in Lyon but neither side progressed to the knockout stages. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the two met again - with a Christian Pulisic strike enough for the US to pick up a win.

The US and Iran produced a powerful gesture at the 1998 World Cup. Image: Getty

Latest details on Iran's status for the 2026 World Cup

Recent developments have raised doubts about Iran's potential involvement in the World Cup.

Iran qualified for their seventh World Cup in March by topping Group A in Asian qualifying and are slated to meet Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand.

However, in light of the ongoing conflict Mehdi Taj, the president of the Iranian Football Federation, has expressed concerns that their appearance may not go ahead as planned.

Speaking on Tehran (Iranian public television), via Marca, he said: "With what happened today and with that attack by the United States, it is unlikely that we can look forward to the World Cup, but the sports chiefs are the ones who must decide on that."

FIFA regulations state that in the event of a withdrawal, the team in question would be replaced "with a nominated alternate, often the direct runner-up from the relevant qualifying playoff or highest-ranked non-qualified team from that confederation".

FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom said the organisation will "monitor developments" on the situation involving Iran and the US and stressed that "our focus is on a safe World Cup with all the teams participating".