Iran bans sports teams from attending games in 'hostile' countries
· CNA · JoinRead a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
TEHRAN: Iran on Thursday (Mar 26) announced a ban on sending sports teams to events in countries considered "hostile", ahead of a scheduled game between an Iranian and an Emirati club in Saudi Arabia.
It comes nearly a month after US-Israeli attacks on Iran sparked the Middle East war on Feb 28.
The Iranian ministry of sports and youth announced that "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", according to a statement carried by the ISNA news agency.
It cited "the publication of some news about the confrontation of the Tractor team against a team from the Emirates in Saudi Arabia" in the AFC Champions League as the reason behind the ban.
CNA Games
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
Show More
Show Less
"The Football Federation and clubs will be obliged to notify the Asian Football Confederation of this matter in order to relocate the games," it added.
The move comes months before the 2026 World Cup, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada in June.
Iran has qualified for the tournament, and their matches against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt were scheduled to be played in the United States.
In a high-profile incident this month, six players and a staff member of the Iranian women's football team had sought asylum in Australia, after refusing to sing the national anthem during the Asian Cup.
This has prompted Tehran to brand them "traitors".
Five later reversed their decision and returned to Iran, while two remain in Australia.
Newsletter
Recommended Read
Subscribe to CNA's Recommended Read
A single handpicked story that we think you shouldn't miss. Just one a day.
Sign up for our newsletters
Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app