Iran have confirmed their spot at next year’s World Cup in North America, but the Middle Eastern nation could still be banned from competing by Donald Trump. The tournament is scheduled to take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
A 2-2 draw with Uzbekistan on Tuesday booked Iran’s spot in next summer’s finals, confirming a fourth consecutive appearance at the World Cup for Team Melli. Automatic qualification from the Asian section has been made easier thanks to the expanded 48-team World Cup, but the result against Uzbekistan ensured Iran would finish inside the top two Group A spots.
Whether they make it as far as the States remains to be seen, as Iran and the US – who will host the bulk of the matches – continue to be at odds with each other. A recent report from Reuters revealed that Iranian citizens could be among 41 nations who are hit with a partial or complete ban on entering the States.
If given the green light by the Trump administration, Iran – as well as the likes of Syria, Cuba and North Korea – would almost certainly be set for a full visa suspension for visitors. It isn’t yet known whether that would impact the players or the coaching team, but it would likely spell trouble for any Iranian natives hoping to cheer their side on in the States.
There is a scenario where Iran would be able to avoid playing matches in the US up until the quarter-final stage, should they be drawn in Group A. As such, all three of their group matches would be located in Mexico, including a clash against the host nation in the second round of games. Should they win the group, they would continue playing in Mexico up until the last-eight stage, where they would then move to Miami.
The latest pressure point for the tournament organisers comes amid an ongoing spat between the Trump administration and the governments of the two other host nations, Mexico and Canada. A trade war has been rumbling on ever since Trump took office for the second time, with POTUS signing orders that saw tariffs slapped on goods entering from the US’ two neighbour nations.
The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to start June 11 and will run for just over a month, with the final pencilled in for July 17.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk