- president Mehdi Taj said the team may refuse to travel to the U.S. if security guarantees are not provided
- Taj said that after comments from U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting he could not guarantee the Iranian team’s safety
- He said he had proposed to FIFA that Iran’s matches scheduled in the United States be transferred to venues in Mexico instead
Iran’s football authorities are in talks with FIFA about moving the country’s opening matches at the upcoming FIFA World Cup from the United States to Mexico due to security concerns linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that the development was confirmed Monday by Iran’s embassy in Mexico, as uncertainty grows over the national team’s participation in the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
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According to Iran Football Federation president Mehdi Taj, the team may refuse to travel to the U.S. if security guarantees are not provided.
Taj said that after comments from U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting he could not guarantee the Iranian team’s safety, Iranian officials began exploring the option of relocating their matches.
Iran is currently scheduled to play group-stage games against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, before facing Egypt in Seattle. The team’s base camp for the tournament is planned to be in Tucson.
Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, criticized what he described as a lack of cooperation from the U.S. government, particularly regarding visa approvals and logistical arrangements for the Iranian delegation.
He said he had proposed to FIFA that Iran’s matches scheduled in the United States be transferred to venues in Mexico instead.
FIFA has not yet issued an official response to the proposal.
The issue gained attention after Trump stated last week that Iran’s national team would technically be allowed to participate in the tournament in the United States, but suggested that travelling there might endanger the players’ safety.
His remarks came shortly after FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Trump had assured him the Iranian team would be welcomed during the competition.
Iranian officials rejected Trump’s statement, insisting that no country has the authority to prevent their national team from participating in the World Cup.
Tensions surrounding the team’s participation intensified following a major military confrontation involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
The situation escalated after U.S. and Israeli forces launched a large-scale offensive against Iran, which responded with missile and drone strikes targeting Israeli territory and American interests across the Middle East.
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