Citing security concerns amid ongoing war with US and Israel, Iran’s Sports Ministry prohibits travel to hostile countries—threatening a key Asian Champions League tie and raising questions about the national team’s World Cup participation.
TEHRAN — Iran has banned its sports teams from traveling to countries it deems “hostile,” a sweeping directive that threatens to derail a major Asian Champions League football match and further complicates the national team’s path to the 2026 World Cup.
The ban, announced Thursday by Iran’s Ministry of Sports, comes nearly a month after the outbreak of war following US-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28. While the statement did not specify which countries fall under the hostile designation, it singled out an upcoming AFC Champions League playoff between Iranian club Tractor SC and Dubai’s Shabab Al Ahli—scheduled to be played in Saudi Arabia.
‘Security of Athletes’ Takes Precedence
In a statement carried by Iranian state television, the ministry said the decision was made to protect Iranian athletes.
“The presence of national and club teams in countries that are considered hostile and are unable to ensure the security of Iranian athletes and team members is prohibited until further notice,” the statement read.
The ministry further instructed Iran’s football federation and clubs to notify the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and request that affected matches be relocated.
AFC Champions League in Jeopardy
The ban directly targets Tractor SC’s playoff match against Shabab Al Ahli, which was set to take place next month in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The fixture is part of the AFC Champions League western zone playoffs, which were postponed following the outbreak of war and rescheduled for April 13-14.
Jeddah is also slated to host the tournament’s quarterfinals, semifinals, and final from April 16-25. Organizers had set the dates in the hope that regional tensions would ease—a hope now complicated by Tehran’s latest decree.
The AFC has not yet issued a response to Iran’s announcement.
World Cup Uncertainty Looms
Notably absent from Thursday’s statement was any mention of the 2026 World Cup, scheduled to be held across Canada, Mexico, and the United States from June to July. Iran has already qualified for the 48-nation tournament, but its participation remains in question.
Iranian officials have been negotiating with FIFA to relocate the team’s three group-stage matches from the US to Mexico, citing security concerns. US President Donald Trump has publicly discouraged Iran from attending the tournament, adding to the tensions.
However, FIFA President Gianni Infantino dealt a setback to those efforts last week, stating that global football’s governing body intends for the tournament “to go ahead as scheduled” without changes to the host arrangement.
Despite the challenges, Iranian government and football officials have said they do not wish to boycott the World Cup. They maintain, however, that traveling to the US is impossible given the ongoing military conflict involving American and Israeli forces.
National Team Prepares Abroad
As the diplomatic and sporting maneuvering continues, Iran’s national squad is currently in Turkiye preparing for two friendly internationals—against Nigeria on Friday and Costa Rica on Tuesday. The camp abroad reflects the team’s determination to remain competitive even as political tensions escalate.
Meanwhile, the Iranian ambassador in Mexico City has confirmed ongoing talks with FIFA to shift World Cup matches out of the US. Whether the new travel ban will be interpreted to include World Cup hosts Canada and Mexico—neither of which Iran has explicitly labeled hostile—remains unclear.
What Lies Ahead
The travel ban gives the Iranian Sports Ministry broad discretion to define “hostile nations” on a case-by-case basis, leaving Iranian sports federations and clubs in a state of uncertainty. For now, the immediate focus is on the AFC Champions League, where a failure to relocate matches could force Tractor SC to forfeit its playoff berth.
With the World Cup just months away and diplomatic channels showing little progress, Iran’s sports community finds itself caught between geopolitical pressures and athletic ambition—with no clear resolution in sight.
