New Zealand players say they are willing to play Iran outside the United States in their opening match at this summer’s football World Cup, as uncertainty persists over the fixture amid geopolitical tensions.
Iran were one of the first nations to qualify for the tournament, but their participation has been in doubt since the US-Israeli conflict with the Islamic Republic broke out.
Team Melli are scheduled to play all three of their group matches in America, 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 players said they could accommodate a switch outside the US if necessary.
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.”
During the June 11-July 19 World Cup, New Zealand will be based in San Diego, which is a short drive to the Mexican border.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said last week her country would be open to hosting Iran's World Cup fixtures although the final say on any venue switch would be Fifa's.
Winger Kosta Barbarouses said players would leave it up to "the people in charge" to make a decision on the match, but did not think a switch would harm their campaign.“I don’t think it would derail our preparation at all,” he said.
Iran also play Belgium in Los Angeles and Egypt in Seattle during the group phase.
REUTERS
