New Zealand's national football team has agreed to play its World Cup match against Iran outside the United States, Reuters reports.
Iran was one of the first nations to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, but the team's participation has been in doubt since the conflict in the Middle East began in late February. The team's three group matches at the 2026 World Cup are scheduled for stadiums in the United States, with the one against New Zealand in particular being in Los Angeles.
However, the Iranian Football Federation is threatening a boycott and does not want to play football on American soil.
New Zealand international Ryan Thomas said that Iran has earned the right to play at the 2026 World Cup and that his teammates are not worried about the noise surrounding the Middle Eastern team's participation in the tournament.
"They have earned the right to play. We have no problem meeting them in Canada or Mexico. "For me personally, it doesn't matter much," Thomas was quoted as saying by Reuters.
He and his teammates will be based in San Diego, California, and from there the trip to the Mexican border is short.
Winger Costa Barbaruses added: "Let the people in charge of these things decide. It doesn't interfere with our preparation at all and I don't see any reason why we shouldn't play the game in Mexico."