• Summary

• * Iran continue preparations for World Cup amid conflict
• * Soccer chief says will not play in US, will not withdraw
• * FIFA urged to ensure safety and human rights at World Cup

The Iranian national team are ​continuing to prepare for the World Cup finals and have no intention of pulling out of the tournament ‌even if they will not travel to the United States, soccer chief Mehdi Taj said on Wednesday.

Iran were one of the first nations to qualify for the finals but their participation has been in doubt since the conflict between the Islamic Republic and the United States began in late February.

The tournament ​runs from June 11 to July 19 and is being staged in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

Team Melli are scheduled ​to play all three of their opening-round group matches in the U.S. but Taj said on ⁠Monday the Iranian FA (FFIRI) was negotiating with FIFA to have them moved to Mexico.

Iran will play Nigeria on March 27 and Costa ​Rica four days later in Antalya as part of a four-nation invitational tournament that had to be moved from Jordan because of ​the conflict in the Middle East.

“The national team is holding a training camp in Turkey, and we will also play two friendly matches there,” FFIRI President Taj was quoted as saying by the Fars News Agency on Wednesday.

“We will boycott America, but we will not boycott the World Cup.”

Taj was ​speaking on Wednesday as he welcomed the players from the women’s national team back to Iran at the border crossing from ​Turkey after their protracted journey from Australia.

All of the delegation, who were in Australia for the Women’s Asian Cup, were offered asylum by the host ‌nation because ⁠of fears for their safety in Iran. While seven were accepted, only two ended up staying.

U.S. President Donald Trump had urged Australia to offer the players asylum and later said that while the Iranian men were welcome to play in the U.S., it might not be appropriate for their “life and safety”.

Trump later stressed any threat to the players would not come from the United States, but Taj — a ​former member of Iran’s hardline ​Revolutionary Guard — used the president’s ⁠statement as grounds for demanding the venue switch.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Tuesday that her country would be open to hosting Iran’s World Cup matches against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt in ​June, but the final say on any venue switch would be FIFA’s.

Soccer’s world governing body ​said it was ⁠in contact with FFIRI but was “looking forward to all participating teams competing as per the match schedule announced on 6 December 2025”.

Beau Busch, the Asia-Pacific president of football players’ union FIFPRO, said it was FIFA’s duty to ensure the safety of everyone involved at the World ⁠Cup.

“FIFA have ​an institutional responsibility to protect human rights,” the Australian told Reuters.

“What’s critical is ​that FIFA undertake a really comprehensive human rights impact assessment, and they assess to ensure that every single participant at the World Cup, every player, every fan, ​can be safe, and that any risks are identified and mitigated effectively.”

-Reuters

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By Kunle Solaja.

Nigeria’s hopes of returning to the FIFA World Cup have finally collapsed after it emerged that the country’s protest against the eligibility of some players used by the Democratic Republic of Congo in last year’s African play-off was dismissed on procedural grounds.

The protest followed Nigeria’s defeat to the DR Congo national football team in the decisive African play-off match for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, played on November 16, 2025, at the Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco. The match ended 1–1 after regulation and extra time before the Congolese side prevailed in a sudden-death penalty shootout.

In the weeks after the match, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) raised concerns about the eligibility of several Congolese players, alleging irregularities in the issuance of passports that enabled them to feature in the encounter.

However, an inside source within FIFA, the world football governing body, has disclosed to Sports Village Square that the Nigerian protest did not meet the procedural requirements for it to be considered by FIFA’s judicial bodies.

According to the source, the NFF’s complaint was received by FIFA on November 28, 2025, nearly two weeks after the match in Rabat.

Under the Regulations Governing the Preliminary Competition for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, protests regarding player eligibility must follow strict timelines.

“Article 8 of the FIFA World Cup Preliminary Competition Regulations outlines the strict procedures for filing match protests.”

Article 8 of the regulations stipulates that any protest must first be communicated to the match commissioner within two hours of the completion of the match, and then followed by a detailed written submission within 24 hours.

The article states:
“Protests regarding the eligibility of players selected for matches in the preliminary competition shall be submitted in writing within two hours of the match and followed by a full written report within 24 hours.”

Because Nigeria’s protest was submitted on November 28 for a match played on November 16, it fell well outside the allowable window.

The source further revealed that the mandatory protest fee of 1,000 Swiss francs, which must accompany such submissions, was also not paid. As a result, the case was not formally processed by FIFA’s judicial bodies.

“The appeal that was widely reported was never actually entertained by the FIFA judicial authorities because it did not meet the procedural requirements,” the source explained, adding that the NFF was formally informed of the situation on March 9, 2026.

It took another week before the body made the decision known, indirectly with a claim of appeal of the judgment.

Under FIFA regulations, a protest must not only meet the deadline but must also include clear reasons, supporting evidence, and the relevant regulatory provisions before the Disciplinary Committee can examine the case.

Because the submission failed to satisfy these procedural conditions, FIFA dismissed the complaint without examining the substance of Nigeria’s allegations regarding player eligibility.

Football legal experts note that strict adherence to procedural timelines is a fundamental principle in international football disputes, and many protests have historically been rejected for similar reasons, regardless of the evidence presented.

Had the protest been properly filed and proven that DR Congo fielded ineligible players under FIFA rules, the consequences could have been severe. Under the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the offending team could face a 3–0 forfeiture of the match, along with possible fines or additional disciplinary sanctions.

Instead, the dismissal of the protest effectively confirms that Nigeria will not be among the 48 teams that will compete at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

DR Congo still have a lifeline and could qualify if it wins the playoff match against either New Caledonia or Jamaica on 31 March.

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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has begun the process of appealing a ruling by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee that rejected its protest against the Democratic Republic of Congo over the eligibility of some players used in a crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying playoff.

Nigeria had petitioned FIFA following the playoff match played on November 16, 2025, in Rabat, Morocco, alleging irregularities in the issuance of passports that allowed certain DR Congo players to feature in the encounter.

However, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee dismissed the petition, prompting the Nigerian football governing body to immediately activate the appeal process.

NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, confirmed that the federation had received the ruling but would challenge it through FIFA’s judicial procedures.

“We have received the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee on our petition, but we are not satisfied with the decision, which rejected our petition. I want to assure Nigerians that the NFF has immediately commenced the process of appealing the decision,” Sanusi said.

The disputed match was played at the Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat and served as the final of the African playoff stage for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification pathway.

Both teams were level at 1–1 after regulation time and extra time before the Congolese side prevailed in a sudden-death penalty shootout to secure victory.

Nigeria’s protest was based on what the NFF described as perceived fraud in the issuance of passports that enabled a number of DR Congo players to qualify for the playoff.

With the initial complaint now dismissed by FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee, the NFF will seek a review of the case through the appeal process in an effort to overturn the ruling.

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