Iran is negotiating with FIFA to move its World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico, according to a post by the country’s embassy in Mexico.
The message on X attributed comments to Mehdi Taj, president of the Iranian Football Federation, saying that the men’s team will not travel to America this summer because U.S. President Donald Trump has said he cannot guarantee the team’s security. Iran, he said, is instead “negotiating with FIFA to hold Iran’s matches in the World Cup in Mexico”.
FIFA confirmed to The Athletic that it has been in touch with Iran, but stressed the fixtures are going ahead as originally announced in December.
A FIFA spokesperson said: “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.”
The Athletic has contacted the Iranian embassy and the Iranian foreign ministry.
Iran are due to play group-stage matches in Los Angeles, against Belgium and New Zealand and Seattle, against Egypt, during the tournament that is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada between June 11 and July 19.
New Zealand told The Athletic that it is continuing to “monitor the situation” and are in “direct contact” with FIFA.
“At this point in time we are preparing to play Iran in LA in our opening game and will continue to plan for this until we hear otherwise,” the federation said in a statement.
The uncertainty follows American and Israeli military attacks on Iran, which killed Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and triggered retaliatory strikes by Iran across the Middle East.
Last week, President Trump said that he does not believe it is “appropriate” for Iran’s men’s soccer team to participate in the World Cup, warning that it may be a risk for “their own life and safety.”
That 41-word statement posted on Trump-owned platform Truth Social came less than 48 hours after FIFA president Gianni Infantino posted on Instagram to say that he had spoken to Trump, who had “reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament.”
President Trump said that he does not believe it is “appropriate” for Iran’s men’s soccer team to participate in the World Cup. (Kenny Holston-Pool / Getty Images)
Trump’s post on Thursday followed comments attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new supreme leader, who said he wished to continue to block the key oil route across the Strait of Hormuz, which is likely to pose further challenges to oil markets, while also threatening further strikes on U.S. bases in the region.
Mexico is due to host 13 games across three cities, including the World Cup opener between the co-hosts and South Africa in Mexico City on June 11.
There have been concerns about the security of games in Mexico, particularly in Guadalajara, which is due to host four games, after the killing last month of Mexican drug lord Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, and the retaliatory violence that followed.
A World Cup play-off tournament is going ahead in the country later this month, with New Caledonia, Jamaica, and DR Congo competing in matches in Guadalajara from March 26-28.
Monterrey will host the other side of the playoff bracket involving Bolivia, Suriname and Iraq, whose participation was also thrown into doubt due to travel problems caused by the war in the Middle East.