Can the USA and Iran face each other in the World Cup? See confrontation chances

Iranian Football Federation releases images of the team's trip to the World Cup
At war since the end of February, the United States and Iran will support their respective teams in the World Cup. But is there a chance for the countries to also face each other on the field?
At the World Cup in Qatar, 4 years ago, the two teams went head to head in the group stage. The tense match ended with tears from the Iranian players after the 1-0 defeat that knocked them out of the round of 16.
This year, because of the war, tensions are higher than ever. The participation of the Iranian team was in doubt for a long time and, despite all the team's games being scheduled for US stadiums, the team will be based in Mexico.
In this year's World Cup, the two countries were not drawn in the same group:
The USA is in group D, with Australia, Paraguay and Turkey;
Iran is now in group G, with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand.
What are the chances of a meeting on the field between the two teams?
It is possible for the teams to meet if both advance in the group stage, according to the scenarios below:
Chances of a clash between the USA and Iran
There are several other possibilities for a clash between the teams if either (or both) advance in 3rd place. In this case, the seeding depends on the general classification of the third parties.
Iranian fans had tickets banned
Fans at Tijuana International Airport, in Mexico, welcome the Iranian team upon arrival for the World Cup dispute, on June 7, 2026
Victor Medina/Reuters
On June 9, two days before the start of the World Cup, the Football Federation of Iran (FFIRI) announced that its quota of tickets for the competition was withdrawn by the United States.
The decision left fans who had already made travel plans unable to attend the Iranian national team's matches.
"This is despite the fact that many Iranian fans, trusting the officially announced process, had already made the necessary plans to attend the games," FFIRI added in a statement.
Iranian national football team players
AP/Vahid Salemi
Iranian players were allowed to enter American territory to play in World Cup matches, but will not be able to remain in the country between commitments.
According to the Iranian ambassador to Mexico, the visa granted to the 26 players only allows temporary entry into the United States for training and matches.
The delegation arrived on June 7th in Tijuana, Mexico, where they will be concentrated during the first phase of the competition.
Initially, the team planned to stay in Tucson, Arizona, as it will play its first three games in the United States. However, the war that began after coordinated bombings by American and Israeli forces against Iran changed the entire logistics of the selection.

Source: G1