FIFA World Cup: Ukraine should replace Iran

Because of the reported deployment of Iranian drones by Russia in its conflict with Kyiv, Iran should be disqualified from this year's World Cup of football and replaced by Ukraine, according to a top official of a Ukrainian team. The CEO of Shakhtar Donetsk, Sergiy Palkin, posted on Facebook, "While the Iranian authorities will have joy watching their national team play in the World Cup, Ukrainians will be massacred by Iranian drones and Iranian missiles."

"Shakhtar calls for FIFA and the whole world community to quickly impose a World Cup ban on Iran's national team due to the nation's direct involvement in terrorist acts against Ukrainians." The World Cup regulations allow FIFA to replace a country with another, primarily in the event that a participating country withdraws, although they do not specify the standards that must be met.