TMehdi Taj, president of the Iranian Football Federation, spoke in Tehran (Iran Public Television) to give his organization’s views on the ongoing conflict between Israel and the United States that began last night.
Recall that Iran, which has qualified for the 2026 World Cup, will have to play three matches on U.S. soil. They will play New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15th. On the 21st, they will play against Belgium in the same city. The final match will be against Egypt in Seattle on the 26th.
Regarding Iran’s participation in the tournament, the president commented: “Given what happened today and the attack by the United States, it is unlikely that we can look forward to the World Cup, but it is up to those in charge of the sports world to decide.”
Meanwhile, the head of Iranian football confirmed that the league will be suspended until further notice. This affects three Spaniards playing in the first division there. Former Real Madrid player Antonio Adan. Mounir, a Spanish-Moroccan (both members of Esteghlal, a top team in the domestic league); and former Valladolid player Ivan Sanchez, who also plays for Sepahan, a very popular club. The former is already in Madrid, while the other two are currently trying to leave Iranian territory by land.
