TEHRAN: Iran&#39;s football federation on Saturday said that the men&#39;s national team will take part in the 2026 World Cup this summer, but demanded that joint hosts, the United States, Mexico, and Canada agree to its conditions amid the Middle East war. The call comes after Canada refused entry to the federation&#39;s chief last month before the FIFA Congress because of his links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iran&#39;s presence at the tournament, which will take place between June 11 and July 19, has been shrouded in uncertainty since the eruption of war in the Middle East in February following strikes by the United States and Israel. &quot;We will definitely participate in the 2026 World Cup, but the hosts must take our concerns into account,&quot; the Iranian federation said on its official website. &quot;We will participate in the World Cup tournament, but without any retreat from our beliefs, culture, and convictions.&quot; The Iranian football federation (FFIRI) president, Mehdi Taj, told state TV on Friday that Tehran has 10 conditions for attending the global spectacle, seeking assurances over the country&#39;s treatment. The conditions include visas being granted and respect for the national team staff, the team&#39;s flag and its national anthem during the tournament, as well as demands for high security at airports, hotels, and routes to the stadiums where they will play. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has insisted that Iran&#39;s footballers would be welcome at the tournament. But he warned that the US may yet bar entry to members of the Iranian delegation with ties to the IRGC, which it also designates as a terrorist organization. &quot;All players and technical staff, especially those who have served their military service in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or IRGC, such as Mehdi Taremi and Ehsan Hajsafi, should be granted visas without any problems,&quot; said Iranian football chief Taj. FIFA chief Gianni Infantino has reiterated that Iran will play their World Cup games in the United States as scheduled. Iran, who are due to be based in Tucson, Arizona, during the World Cup, face New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt in Group G. The Iranians open their World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. &quot;No external power can deprive Iran of its participation in a cup to which it has qualified with merit,&quot; the Iranian federation said on Saturday.

Workers install the pitch at New York New Jersey Stadium ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on May 7, 2026. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)

Football

The call comes after Canada refused entry to the federation's chief last month before the FIFA Congress because of his links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC); Conditions include visas being granted and respect for the national team staff, the team's flag and its national anthem during the tournament, as well as demands for high security at airports, hotels, and routes to the stadiums.

Iran says will play in World Cup, demands hosts accept conditions

NEW YORK: US authorities have warned people visiting the United States for the World Cup that taking recreational drugs could expose them to deadly doses of fentanyl, the powerful synthetic opioid.&nbsp;&quot;We want to make sure that they are aware that the drugs that are on the streets and sold online are lethal,&quot; Frank Tarentino, an official with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), told AFP.&nbsp;&quot;Almost all the drugs that we&#39;re seizing today have fentanyl in them,&quot; he said during a visit to a DEA laboratory in New York on Thursday.&nbsp;Tarentino noted that 29 percent of pills analyzed in DEA laboratories nationwide contain a lethal dose of fentanyl, which is roughly two milligrams.&nbsp;Overdose deaths have surged in the United States since the late 2010s, peaking at 108,000 in 2022 including 73,000 linked to synthetic opioids, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.&nbsp;The total has since declined, with 80,000 deaths in 2024 -- of which 48,000 were linked to synthetic opioids, which remain the leading cause of overdose deaths.&nbsp;The nasal spray naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, can rapidly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, and Tarentino urged people to buy it from a pharmacy.&nbsp;&quot;Because if somebody on the city street is in an overdose state, anybody walking past who has naloxone can administer that to that overdosed person,&quot; he explained.&nbsp;Tarentino dismissed the accuracy of fentanyl test strips, saying they can give &quot;a false sense of security.&quot;&nbsp;He added that the DEA had no evidence that traffickers might be specifically targeting World Cup fans ahead of the tournament, which kicks off June 11 in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Americas

US authorities warned World Cup visitors that recreational drugs in America may contain lethal fentanyl doses. The DEA said 29 percent of tested pills contain deadly amounts, urged people to carry naloxone, and cautioned against relying on fentanyl test strips.

US authorities warn World Cup visitors of fentanyl-laced drugs

LAHORE: Pakistan take on Australia in a three-match Twenty20 international series starting in Lahore from Thursday, despite doubts over their participation in next month&#39;s World Cup in cricket&#39;s shortest format.&nbsp;The country&#39;s cricket chief Mohsin Naqvi will announce a final decision on taking part in the mega event either on Friday or Monday.&nbsp;Pakistan are protesting over last week&#39;s decision by the International Cricket Council (ICC), which rejected Bangladesh&#39;s demand to relocate their matches out of India over security fears.&nbsp;Bangladesh are replaced by Scotland in the 20-team event, which runs from February 7 to March 8 with Sri Lanka as co-hosts.&nbsp;However, despite the doubts, the Pakistan team was preparing for the World Cup with skipper Salman Agha stressing the importance of the<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/australia-announce-squad-for-threegame-t20i-series-in-pakistan" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Australia</a> series.&nbsp;&quot;These three games will give us an idea how prepared we are for the World Cup,&quot; Agha told a news conference on Wednesday. &quot;Australia is a top team and will give us the best final preparations.&quot;&nbsp;Pakistan are placed in Group A alongside defending world champions India, the United States, Namibia and the Netherlands.&nbsp;Pakistan&#39;s spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi returns to full fitness after injuring his knee in the Big Bash League in Australia this month.&nbsp;&quot;We need to see how many boxes we tick in the series which are important for the World Cup as we aim to do well and win the Cup,&quot; Agha said.&nbsp;A 17-member Australian squad led by Mitchell Marsh arrived in Lahore early on Wednesday, with the last two matches set for January 31 and February 1.&nbsp;The Australians are without the injured quartet of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Tim David and Nathan Ellis, while allrounder Glenn Maxwell was rested to manage workload.&nbsp;Marsh still believes Australia were ready for the World Cup tune-up series.&nbsp;&quot;These are very important times in both teams&#39; preparations for the World Cup,&quot; said Marsh, whose team will be in Group B with Sri Lanka, Oman, Ireland and Zimbabwe.&nbsp;&quot;This is a very important series as the conditions are similar and that is against a quality side, so we will assess the situation and be clear about our plans ahead.&quot;

Cricket

Pakistan face Australia in a three-match T20 series in Lahore as World Cup participation remains undecided, with both teams using the matches as preparation. Pakistan welcome back Shaheen Afridi, while Australia miss several injured players.

Pakistan face Australia with T20 World Cup participation uncertain

WASHINGTON: Spurred on by World Cup 2026 fever, US President Donald Trump said on Friday that American football should be renamed as the game played with a round ball, soccer, was the one true football. &quot;We have a little bit of a conflict with another thing that&#39;s called football but when you think about it ... this is football, there is no question. We have to come up with another name for the NFL (National Football League),&quot; Trump said at the World Cup draw. &quot;It really doesn&#39;t make sense when you think about it.&quot; For Americans, the word &quot;football&quot; refers to American football, a sport primarily played with the hands &mdash; completely different from what the rest of the world calls football. Almost the entire country tunes in each year to the NFL championship final, the Super Bowl, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino made sure on Friday to emphasize to Americans that the 2026 World Cup would be the equivalent of 104 Super Bowls. An all-round sports enthusiast, Trump has developed a particular affection for soccer that continues to grow as the 2026 World Cup, which will take place next summer in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, approaches.

For Americans, the word "football" refers to American football, a sport primarily played with the hands — completely different from what the rest of the world calls football.

'It doesn't make sense': Trump wants to rename American football

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 600; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: capitalize; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: nowrap; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;" id="isPasted">LAUSANNE,&nbsp;Switzerland: FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Thursday football &quot;cannot solve geopolitical problems&quot;, as he comes under pressure to suspend Israel over the Palestinian conflict. The sport&#39;s world governing body said in a statement that at a meeting of the FIFA Council, Infantino &quot;stressed the importance of promoting peace and unity, particularly in the context of the ongoing situation in Gaza&quot;. &ldquo;At FIFA, we are committed to using the power of football to bring people together in a divided world,&quot; Infantino said. &quot;Our thoughts are with those who are suffering in the many conflicts that exist around the world today, and the most important message that football can convey right now is one of peace and unity.&quot; He added: &quot;FIFA cannot solve geopolitical problems, but it can and must promote football around the world by harnessing its unifying, educational, cultural and humanitarian values.&quot; FIFA banned Russia in 2022, shortly after Russian forces invaded Ukraine -- despite the fact that Russia hosted the World Cup finals four years earlier.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino rejected calls to suspend Israel, saying football cannot solve geopolitical conflicts but should promote peace and unity. He emphasized FIFA’s role in harnessing football’s unifying, cultural, and humanitarian values amid global crises.

Articles tagged with "World Cup"

Iran says will play in World Cup, demands hosts accept conditions

US authorities warn World Cup visitors of fentanyl-laced drugs

Pakistan face Australia with T20 World Cup participation uncertain

'It doesn't make sense': Trump wants to rename American football

FIFA 'cannot solve geopolitical problems' like Gaza, says Infantino