SOCCER: Iran continuing World Cup preparations but will not play in US, says soccer chief

Iran confirms it will compete in the 2026 World Cup despite refusing to play matches in the U.S., with plans to train in Turkey and potentially move games to Mexico. The team continues preparations, including friendlies against Nigeria and Costa Rica, ahead of the June tournament.

REUTERS

March 19, 2026

FILE PHOTO: Draw Assistant Shaquille O'Neal draws Iran during the FIFA World Cup 2026 draw at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., U.S., on December 5, 2025.

Carlos Barria/File Photo/Reuters

The Iranian national soccer team is continuing its preparations for the 2026 World Cup and has no plans to withdraw from the tournament, even if they do not travel to the United States, soccer chief Mehdi Taj said Wednesday.

Iran was among the first nations to qualify for the finals, but their participation has been uncertain since tensions escalated between the Islamic Republic and the United States in late February.

The tournament will take place from June 11 to July 19 across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Team Melli is scheduled to play all three of its opening-round group matches in the United States, but Taj said Monday that the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) is negotiating with FIFA to move the matches to Mexico.

As part of a four-nation invitational tournament, Iran will face Nigeria on March 27 and Costa Rica on March 31 in Antalya, Turkey. The event was relocated from Jordan due to the ongoing Middle East conflict.

“The national team is holding a training camp in Turkey, and we will also play two friendly matches there,” FFIRI President Taj told Fars News Agency. “We will boycott America, but we will not boycott the World Cup.”

Taj made the remarks while welcoming the women’s national team back to Iran at the border crossing from Turkey after their extended trip from Australia. The delegation, which had competed in the Women’s Asian Cup, was offered asylum by Australia due to safety concerns. While seven players initially accepted, only two remained in Australia.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump had encouraged Australia to offer asylum to the players and later said that while the Iranian men were welcome to play in the U.S., the move might not be suitable for their “life and safety.” Trump emphasized that any threats would not come from the United States. Taj, a former member of Iran’s hardline Revolutionary Guard, cited Trump’s comments as justification for requesting a venue change.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday that Mexico would be open to hosting Iran’s matches against New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt, though FIFA will make the final decision. Soccer’s global governing body confirmed it is in contact with FFIRI and stated it looks forward to “all participating teams competing as per the match schedule announced on December 6, 2025.” -Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford/Reuters