Iranian Federation President: We Do Not Guarantee Victory Over Egypt

Mehdi Taj, the president of the Iranian Football Federation, spoke about the anticipated match between the Iranian and Egyptian national teams in the 2026 World Cup.

The Iran national team will meet Egypt tomorrow morning, Saturday, in the third round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.

Mehdi Taj said in statements reported by the Iranian news agency "IRNA": "The overall effort of the Iranian national team is to achieve a valuable victory in tomorrow's match against Egypt and qualify for the knockout stage in the World Cup."

He continued: "However, in football, even with all the favorable conditions, no one can consider themselves a winner beforehand. The team strives to achieve the best possible result and secure victory."

The President of the Iranian Federation continued: "Despite the difficult situation due to the host country's measures for the tournament and the lack of suitable conditions, the national team is progressing well."

Regarding the team's injuries, Taj said: "The young players sustained minor injuries in previous matches, but except for Roozbeh Cheshmi, who might also play, no one is particularly injured."

Regarding the circumstances of the Iranian team after a potential advancement to the round of 32, the head of the federation said: "If the national team qualifies for the knockout stages, it will depend on the conditions under which they advance to the next round."

He concluded: "The position we qualify in determines the host city and the date of the match that will take place later in the Round of 32, and from our side, we will make the decision after advancing."