The Football Federation of Iran has announced that the country’s senior men’s team will square off against Nigeria’s Super Eagles in an international friendly on March 27.
Tehran Times, a government-owned news platform, reported that Amirmahdi Alavai, spokesperson of the Iranian FA, confirmed the scheduled encounter on Tuesday. The exact venue and kick-off time are still to be determined.
The match is part of Iran’s build-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. In addition to facing Nigeria, Iran are set to play Costa Rica in another preparatory friendly on March 30.
Iran have been placed in Group G of the World Cup alongside Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand.
The last meeting between Nigeria and Iran came at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where both sides settled for a 0–0 draw in the group stage.
Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the 2026 tournament were dented after the Super Eagles lost to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) in the final round of the African playoffs.
However, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is seeking to keep qualification hopes alive through administrative channels. The federation has petitioned FIFA, alleging that DR Congo fielded ineligible players during the playoff fixtures.
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has yet to announce a decision on the matter.
