Iran to play Nigeria, Costa Rica in friendlies, Taj confirms
The Iranian men’s national team will face Nigeria and Costa Rica in a friendly double-header during the upcoming FIFA international break, Mahdi Taj, chairman of the Iranian Football Federation, confirmed on Sunday.
The four-team event in Antalya, Türkiye, also featuring Jordan, will be part of Iran’s preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada in June and July.
Team Melli will take on Nigeria on March 27, before facing Costa Rica four days later.
The tournament was initially scheduled to take place in Amman, Jordan, but it was moved to Türkiye due to an ongoing military conflict between Iran and a U.S.-Israeli coalition.
The United States and Israel initiated a military campaign against Iran on February 28, assassinating the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and several top Iranian military commanders on the first day of the airstrikes in Tehran.
Iran has been retaliating with widespread missile and drone attacks against Israel and U.S. bases in the region.
With all domestic and international flights cancelled in the country due to the conflict, the national team players will likely have to undertake a challenging land journey to Antalya for their two games.
“We have obstacles in traveling to Türkiye that we are working to overcome to ensure the team plays the two games and does not fall behind in its preparation for the World Cup,” Taj said.
Iran is scheduled to kick off its World Cup campaign against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on June 16, before facing Belgium at the same venue five days later.
The final round of Group G fixtures will see Iran take on Egypt in Seattle, Washington, on June 26.
However, questions remain regarding Team Melli’s participation at the global showpiece, after U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that it would not be appropriate for the Iranian players to visit his country “for their own life and safety.”
The Iranian federation and team head coach Amir Qalenoei quickly responded to Trump’s comments through social media posts on Thursday, insisting that “no one has the authority to exclude Iran from the World Cup.”
“If any country is to be expelled, it should be the one that merely carries the title of ‘the host’ but fails to guarantee the safety and security of the participating teams,” the statement added.