Iran’s football authorities have confirmed that the national team will continue gearing up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite lingering doubts about playing matches in the United States.
The head of the Iran Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, disclosed this in a video statement released on Wednesday. He emphasized that while Iran remains committed to participating in the tournament, the team may avoid traveling to the U.S. due to ongoing political tensions.
According to Taj, preparations for the competition will proceed as planned, but Iran is considering boycotting matches scheduled on American soil rather than withdrawing from the tournament entirely.
Iran is currently slated to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, before taking on Egypt in Seattle during the group stage.
Amid the uncertainty, the federation has reportedly opened talks with FIFA over the possibility of relocating those fixtures to Mexico. However, FIFA has maintained that the official schedule remains unchanged for now.
The expanded 2026 World Cup will be hosted across 16 cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with the tournament set to kick off in June.
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