Fifa World Cup: New Zealand players willing to face Iran in their opening match outside US
Iranians have threatened to boycott matches in US, and New Zealanders say it is not a ‘big deal’ to play them in Canada or Mexico instead
New Zealand’s national footballers have said they would be willing to play against Iran outside the United States in their opening match at the 2026 World Cup, as uncertainty persists over the fixture amid geopolitical tensions.
Iran were one of the first nations to qualify for the finals but their participation has been in doubt since the US-Israeli conflict with the Islamic Republic broke out at the end of February.
Team Melli are scheduled to play all three of their opening-round group matches in the US, with their June 15 opener against New Zealand in Los Angeles, but the Iranian football federation has threatened to boycott fixtures on US soil.
New Zealand are preparing as if the Los Angeles match will go ahead, but players said on Wednesday they could accommodate a switch outside the US if necessary.
Netherlands-based midfielder Ryan Thomas said Iran had earned their spot at the World Cup, and the All Whites would be able to manage the extra attention generated by the match.
“They deserve to be there as qualifiers,” he said. “If we’ve got to play them in Mexico or Canada, then yeah, we play them there. It’s not really a big deal for me.”