Canada to host Iran for a friendly international in Vancouver.

FFIRI has reached an agreement with the Canadian Football Federation, to hold a friendly international match as part of Team Melli’s preparations for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2020. The match between Iran and Canada will be held in Vancouver, B.C. on June 5th.

The match is part of a two-game homestand at B.C. Place Stadium. The Canadian men will open CONCACAF Nations League A play there against Curacao on June 9 before closing out the FIFA international window with another CONCACAF Nations League game against Honduras in San Pedro Sula on June 13.

Canada ranked 38th in the world, and No. 21 Iran are both preparing for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar this November.

Canada will play in Group F alongside Belgium, Croatia, and Morocco while Iran is in Group B with England, the U.S., and a European playoff winner still to be decided.

The Vancouver matches are the first for Canada on home soil since qualifying for the World Cup in a 4-0 win over Jamaica at Toronto’s BMO Field on March 27. It also marks the Canadian men’s first visit to B.C. Place since March 2019 when they beat French Guiana 4-1 in CONCACAF Nations League qualifying.

Canada has a 1-2-0 all-time record against Iran, winning the most recent encounter 1-0 in April 2001 in Cairo. Iran posted 1-0 wins in 1997 and 1999 games in Toronto and Edmonton, respectively.

FFIRI is actively seeking another opponent in Canada with several associations being approached in order to play Team Melli on FIFA Day. No agreement has been reached so far for the second match.