Iran’s football federation is in discussions with FIFA about moving their matches from the U.S. to Mexico due to concerns about the safety of their players, according to Iranian football president Mehdi Taj. Iran’s participation in the event was thrown into doubt after the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes against the country.
Last week, President Donald Trump said that Iran was welcome to participate but suggested it might not be appropriate for them to play in the U.S. “for their own life and safety.”
“When Trump has explicitly stated that he cannot ensure the security of the Iranian national team, we will certainly not travel to America,” said Taj in a post on the Iranian embassy in Mexico’s X account. “We are negotiating with FIFA to hold Iran’s World Cup matches in Mexico.”
FIFA did not confirm any specifics.
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“FIFA is in regular contact with all participating member associations, including IR Iran, to discuss planning for the FIFA World Cup 2026. FIFA is looking forward to all participating teams competing as per the match schedule announced on 6 December 2025,” a FIFA spokesperson told Reuters.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated during a daily press conference that her country would have no problem hosting Iran’s World Cup matches, if FIFA agrees to it.
The tournament is due to kick off on June 11 in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with Iran scheduled to play two group matches in Los Angeles and one in Seattle. This is Iran’s fourth successive World Cup.
Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand are Iran’s opponents in Group G. While shifting Iran’s matches from the U.S. to Mexico would mark a significant logistical shift, such a move wouldn’t be unprecedented.
In September last year, Scotland secured a 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Belarus at Zalaegerszeg near the Austrian and Slovenian borders, after a ruling by UEFA over the role of Belarus as a staging ground for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In other sports, India refused to travel to Pakistan for last year’s cricket Champions Trophy and were allowed to play all their matches in Dubai instead.
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If FIFA rejects the switch of venue, it is unlikely the Iranian team would travel to the U.S. to play in the tournament while at war with one of its co-hosts. Iran’s sports minister said last week it was not possible for the Iranian players to participate after the U.S. launched airstrikes alongside Israel against Tehran, killing the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader. An official withdrawal will be the first in the modern era and would leave FIFA with the urgent task of finding a replacement. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said on Monday that it had not received any notification that Iran will withdraw from the event.
“At the end of the day, it’s the federation who should decide if they’re playing, 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.