Iran Page 2 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
Iran moving World Cup base camp from U.S to Mexico
Iran's World Cup training base has been moved from the United States to Mexico with the approval of FIFA, the president of the governing body of Iranian soccer said Saturday.,FIFA has not yet confirmed the move, which was announced by Mehdi Taj, president of the Iran Football Federation.,"All team b...
Report: FIFA, Iran hold talks ahead of World Cup
FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafstrom described his Saturday meeting with the head of Iran's Football Federation (FFIRI) as "constructive" as concerns about the nation's participation in next month's World Cup have not abated.,Grafstrom met with FFIRI President Mehdi Taj in Istanbul and told Reut...
Iran officials aim to meet with FIFA, discuss World Cup issues
Soccer officials from Iran are intent on meeting with FIFA's leadership about its upcoming World Cup matches in the United States.,Mehdi Taj, president of Iran's soccer administration, informed Iranian media Friday that the country's soccer leadership has issues it wants to discuss with the internat...
FIFA boss: No changes to Iran's World Cup schedule
FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed that Iran will play its originally scheduled World Cup matches this summer in the United States.,Infantino made the announcement during his opening remarks Thursday at the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, B.C., one day after members of Iran's delegation to the co...
Iran absent from FIFA Vancouver meetings due to visa issues
Iran's soccer federation was absent from a meeting of soccer leaders in Vancouver on Tuesday, leaving the country's participation in the upcoming World Cup still in question.,That topic wasn't covered at the convening of Asia's top soccer leaders today with FIFA president Gianni Infantino presiding,...
Italy officials: 'Not appropriate' to replace Iran in World Cup
An American diplomat's suggestion that Italy could replace Iran at the World Cup is "shameful" and "not appropriate," Italian sports officials responded.,Paolo Zampolli, a U.S. special envoy, told the Financial Times that he floated the proposal to President Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni In...
Iran 'fully prepared' to participate in World Cup
Despite the ongoing conflict at home, the Iran men's national soccer team is "fully prepared" to participate in the World Cup this summer, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said Wednesday, Al Jazeera reported.,The team's involvement was called into question after the United States and Israe...
Iranian soccer players in Australia thankful for 'safe haven'
Two members of the Iranian women's soccer team who were granted asylum in Australia last month, released a joint statement Friday thanking the Australian government for assistance with "the process of rebuilding our lives.",Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh were the only two of seven membe...
FIFA president Gianni Infantino: Iran 'for sure' playing in World Cup
Despite Iran's sports minister stating that the country cannot participate amid the war with the United States, along with President Donald Trump voicing concerns for the players' "life and safety," FIFA president Gianni Infantino is confident Iran will play in the FIFA World Cup this summer in Nort...
FIFA president says 'only' Plan A for Iran's Word Cup schedule
FIFA expects Iran to be a participant in this summer's World Cup, even as the country's request to move to change its group stage games appears to have been denied.,Iran's participation in this year's World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada was in doubt once the Middle East conflict betwee...
Iran bans sports teams from traveling to 'hostile' countries
Iran has banned the nation's sports teams from traveling to "hostile" countries, Iranian state TV reported Thursday.,The ban did not specifically mention this summer's FIFA World Cup, taking place in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.,The Ministry of Sports in Tehran's statement singled out an upcoming so...
Iran will boycott America, 'but not the World Cup'
The president of Iran's soccer federation said his country would "boycott the United States, but not the World Cup" as it attempts to move its group stage matches south of the border to Mexico.,Mehdi Taj drew the distinction while speaking to Iran's Fars news agency on Wednesday in response to Presi...
Iran lobbying to move World Cup matches in LA, Seattle to Mexico
Iran wants FIFA to move its World Cup matches this summer from the United States to Mexico.,That's according to the X account of Iran's embassy in Mexico, which posted a statement late Monday night attributed to Medhi Taj, president of the Iranian Football Federation. The statement was a reaction to...
Fifth asylum-seeking women's soccer player decides to return to Iran
A fifth member of the Iranian women's national soccer team who originally decided to remain in Australia on a refugee visa had a chance of heart and decided to return home Sunday evening, the Australian government announced.,The team arrived in Melbourne to compete in the 2026 Asian Women's Cup shor...
AFC official: Iran still set to play in 2026 World Cup
Iran has given no indication it intends to remove its national team from this summer's FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, a representative for the Asian Football Confederation said Monday.,The Iranian team, currently 20th in the FIFA rankings, is set to compete in its fourth con...
Report: Formula 1 to cancel Bahrain, Saudi Arabia races amid war
Formula 1 leaders intend to cancel scheduled races in the Middle East because of the war in Iran and instability in the region, ESPN reported Friday.,The decision is expected to be announced over the weekend.,Grand Prix races were set for April 12 in Bahrain and April 19 in Saudi Arabia. The decisio...
Trump advises Iran team to skip World Cup for 'their own life and safety'
President Donald Trump suggested Thursday that Iran's national soccer team should withdraw from the upcoming FIFA World Cup as a personal safety measure.,Trump wrote on Truth Social, the social media platform he owns, that Iran is welcome to play this summer in the United States, "but I really don't...
Official: 'Under no circumstance' will Iran participate in World Cup
Iran's sports minister said there is no way that the nation's soccer team will compete in this summer's FIFA World Cup in North America.,Ahmad Donyamali addressed the situation in the wake of combined American and Israeli attacks against his Middle East nation in an interview with state television.,...
Report: Five defect with Iran's women's soccer team in limbo in Australia
Amid the war in the Middle East involving the United States, Israel and Iran, five members of the Iranian women's soccer team reportedly defected after Sunday's game during the Women's Asian Cup in Australia.,The Iranian team has been in Australia since the U.S. and Israel began attacking Iran on Fe...
No excuses: Tommy Fleetwood prepares for Players as family remains in Dubai
While Tommy Fleetwood is playing PGA Tour events in the United States, his family is half a world away, unable to leave Dubai as conflict in the Middle East continues.,The Englishman counts his family among the lucky ones, telling reporters Monday that the United Arab Emirates has done an "unbelieva...