There is a distinct possibility that the U.S. soccer team will face Iran in the first knockout round of the World Cup on the day before Fourth of July celebrations.
Yes, that’s correct. The warring nations could be on a collision course at the world’s premier sporting event, on U.S. soil.
The potential showdown on July 3 in Texas adds intrigue to a fraught situation. This is the first World Cup in which a participating nation is at war with a primary host of the tournament.
Iran’s players got visas to participate in U.S.-hosted games, but it required diplomatic intervention. The Iranian players are flying in and out of a base camp in Tijuana, Mexico.
A lot still needs to happen for Iran to play America, but it’s not out of the question.
The U.S. is in Group D, Iran in Group G.
It just so happens that the runners-up in each group are scheduled to play each other at AT&T Stadium in Arlington — home of the Dallas Cowboys.
The game, scheduled for 2 p.m. Eastern time, would coincide with a major patriotic weekend in the U.S. as it celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding.
“The hostilities between the two nations would underlay whatever happened on the field,” said Darrell West, a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution. “I don’t recall another example of this except possibly for the 1980 hockey Olympics match between the U.S. and Soviet Union. That was very high-profile, and people around the world paid attention to it.”
The Washington Times reached out to the White House for comment on the situation and whether President Trump would consider attending the game.
The bracket for the World Cup was set by a random drawing months ago.
Yet Mr. Trump’s decision to attack Iran on Feb. 28, hoping to thwart the regime from getting a nuclear weapon, set social media abuzz with speculation about the World Cup collision course.
The U.S. is favored to advance out of a group that features Paraguay, Australia and Turkey. None of the teams is considered a pushover, however, so the Americans may notch a second-place finish in group play.
Iran, meanwhile, is squaring off against Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand in its group. Many call Belgium a world-class squad, so a second-place finish for Iran would be a reasonable prediction.
Mr. Trump says he’s nearing a peace deal that would lift his blockade of Iranian ports, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and prevent Iran from getting a nuke.
Even if the war is settled, raw feelings will linger between the nations after the monthslong conflict, and there is some sporting history to consider: The U.S. defeated Iran in the final group-play game of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, advancing the Americans to the knockout round.
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