Oman today_ The Iranian national football team is set to play its opening match of the 2026 World Cup against New Zealand on June 16, 2026 (26 Khordad 1405 in the Iranian calendar). Ahead of that, a key friendly match against Spain is scheduled to take place in Madrid.
The spokesperson for the Football Federation stated that the Spanish Football Federation sent an email to Iran yesterday, confirming the venue and date for the match. According to Spain, the game will be held on June 2, 2026 (12 Khordad) at Atlético Madrid Stadium.
Regarding the friendly against Portugal, the spokesperson noted that the Portuguese Football Federation has expressed its readiness to host Iran in a friendly match on June 4, 2026 (14 Khordad). Negotiations between the two federations are ongoing, but currently, the match with Spain is closer to being finalized.
The spokesperson also emphasized that preparations are underway for friendly matches after the 2026 World Cup with top-ranked FIFA teams to ensure high-level competition for the national team.
He added that for March 2026 (Farvardin 1405), an African team has confirmed its availability to play a friendly match against Iran in either Qatar or the UAE. This team is not from Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Ivory Coast, or South Africa. Details have been shared with the national team’s coaching staff, and the official contract will be signed after final approval.
The spokesperson further clarified that for both the friendly against the African team and the match with Spain, the Iranian Football Federation will not incur any expenses, as costs will be covered by official sponsors.
He continued that arrangements for a second friendly match during the March FIFA window are also underway. The opponent will not be the African team and is likely to be a European side. Originally, a match with Scotland was planned, but they were unavailable at that time. Slovenia is currently being considered as an alternative, though nothing has been finalized yet.
According to the schedule, the friendly match against the African team is expected to take place on March 22, 2026 (2 Farvardin) in Qatar or the UAE, with negotiations for the second friendly match still ongoing.