(FILES) Iran's flag is displayed on a screen during the draw for the 2026 FIFA Football World Cup taking place in the US, Canada and Mexico, at the Kennedy Center, in Washington, DC, on December 5, 2025. The president of the Iranian Football Federation said late May 9, 2026, that if Iran dropped out of the World Cup, it would deprive the country of a "major diplomatic asset", speaking after the federation (FFIRI) said that Iran would take part in the men's football showpiece this summer despite the Middle East War, but demanded that joint hosts the United States, Mexico and Canada agree to its conditions. (Photo by Roberto SCHMIDT / AFP via Getty Images)