Iran’s soccer federation is in talks with FIFA to move its 2026 World Cup group stage matches from the United States to Mexico, Reuters reports, with the country’s soccer president citing concerns about the safety of its players on American soil.
Mehdi Taj, the president of the Iran Football Federation, said on Monday that the country will not travel to the US for the tournament after US President Donald Trump explicitly stated that he could not guarantee the security of the Iranian national team.
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“When TRump specifically stated that he could not provide security Iran’s national team, we will definitely not go to America,” Taj said in a post on the Iranian Embassy’s Mexico X account. “We are in talks with FIFA to host Iran’s World Cup matches in Mexico.”
FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The development comes amid growing uncertainty over Iran’s participation in the tournament, which is set to kick off on June 11 in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Iran currently have two group stage matches in Los Angeles and one in Seattle. But Trump said last week that while Iran is welcome to participate, it may not be appropriate for it to play the US “for its own life and safety.”
Tensions escalated significantly after the US launched airstrikes alongside Israel against Tehran that killed Iran’s supreme leader. Iran’s sports minister said last week that it was impossible for Iranian players to participate in the tournament following the strikes, raising the prospect of an official withdrawal.
Such a move would be the first of its kind in the modern era, leaving FIFA with the urgent task of finding a replacement nation at short notice.
However, the Asian Football Confederation said it had not yet received any formal notification of the withdrawal. “At the end of the day, it is the federation that should decide whether they will play and as of today, the federation has told us that they are going to the World Cup,” AFC general secretary Windsor John told reporters in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
March 17, 2026 12:45 PM IST
