Iran to Boycott 2022 World Cup in the United States

Iran National Team to Play Group Games in Mexico or US

The Iranian national team is scheduled to play their three FIFA World Cup 2026 group games in the United States. However, an alternative location has been proposed: Mexico. According to Mehdi Taj, head of the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI), Iran will not participate in matches held in the US due to ongoing tensions between the two countries.

Taj stated that the team is preparing for the tournament and intends to compete, but will boycott matches in the United States. The Iranian national team was one of the first teams to qualify for the finals, which take place from June 11 to July 19 and are co-hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada.

Iran’s participation has been uncertain since tensions between Iran and the US escalated in late February. The team is scheduled to play Nigeria on March 27 and Costa Rica four days later in Antalya as part of a four-nation invitational tournament that was originally set to take place in Jordan due to regional conflicts.

FFIRI President Taj also announced that the national team will hold training camps in Turkey and play two friendly matches there. The Iranian women’s national team recently returned to Iran after being offered asylum by Australia, where they had been participating in the Women’s Asian Cup.

FIFA has confirmed that it is in contact with FFIRI regarding venue changes, but the final decision rests with the governing body. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed willingness to host Iran’s World Cup matches against New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt in June.

Source: Al Jazeera