Iran national football team will take on Nigeria national football team in an international friendly on March 27 as part of preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, even as the Asian side insists it will not play matches in the United States.

The fixture, scheduled for Antalya, Turkey, is part of a four-nation invitational tournament that also features Costa Rica national football team. The competition was moved from Jordan due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East, underscoring the broader challenges surrounding Iran’s World Cup build-up.

President of the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran, Mehdi Taj, confirmed that the team will continue preparations for the tournament, scheduled to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

However, he reiterated that Iran would boycott playing matches in the United States, citing security concerns and ongoing political tensions.

Despite this stance, Tehran has ruled out withdrawing from the tournament entirely. Instead, Iranian officials are in discussions with FIFA to relocate their group-stage matches to Mexico. FIFA has yet to approve the request and has maintained that all participating teams are expected to adhere to the official schedule.

Iran qualified early for the expanded 48-team tournament and have been drawn alongside Belgium national football team, Egypt national football team and New Zealand national football team. Their fixtures are currently slated for US host cities, including Los Angeles and Seattle, adding further complexity to the situation.

The issue is compounded by heightened geopolitical tensions involving the United States and its allies, raising concerns over player safety and participation.

The global players’ union, FIFPRO, has also urged the governing body to prioritise safety and uphold human rights standards for all participants.

“We will boycott America, but we will not boycott the World Cup, the national team is holding a training camp in Turkey, and we will also play two friendly matches there,” Taj said. (The Guardian)