3 min readMar 17, 2026 03:13 PM IST
Iran football federation is in active conversation with FIFA to alter their playing venues from the United States to Mexico amid President Donald Trump saying he cannot assure safety for the Iranian players who will be travelling to the United States to participate in the showpiece event.
“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 football president Mehdi Taj.
“We are negotiating with FIFA to hold Iran’s World Cup matches in Mexico,” Taj said on the Iranian embassy in Mexico’s X account. Soccer’s global governing body FIFA, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Iran secured a trip to a fourth successive World Cup by topping their group in the third round of Asian qualifying last year.
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. Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand are Iran’s opponents in Group G.
The organising committees for matches in Los Angeles and Seattle did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside normal U.S. business hours.
The prospect of shifting Iran’s fixtures to Mexico would mark a significant logistical switch for the tournament, though relocating matches for security or geopolitical reasons is not unprecedented.
Story continues below this ad
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.
Should FIFA reject a switch of venue to Mexico it seems unlikely that Iran would travel to the U.S. and take part in the tournament while at war with one of the 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 would be the first in the modern era and leave FIFA with the urgent task of finding a replacement.
(With agency inputs)
