Fifa Confirms Iran's Matches to Remain in US for World Cup
Fifa appears to have ruled out relocating Iran's matches at the upcoming World Cup from the United States to Mexico. This decision comes amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and safety concerns raised by Iran's football federation.
The president of Iran's football federation, Mehdi Taj, had previously indicated that negotiations were underway to move Iran's fixtures to Mexico to ensure the safety of their players. This followed a series of US and Israeli strikes on Iran, which prompted retaliatory attacks by Iran on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf region.
However, on Tuesday, Fifa issued a statement expressing its anticipation for all nations to compete according to the original match schedule. Sources speaking to confirmed that no discussions have taken place between Fifa and Iran regarding relocating matches.
The 2026 World Cup is jointly hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico, and is scheduled from 11 June to 19 July. Iran is set to play New Zealand on 16 June and Belgium on 21 June in Los Angeles, followed by a match against Egypt on 27 June in Seattle.
Last week, US President Donald Trump stated that while Iran is "welcome to the World Cup," he believes it is "not appropriate" for them to attend due to concerns over their 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 Mehdi Taj in a post on a social media account linked to the Iranian embassy in Mexico.
"We are negotiating with Fifa to hold Iran's World Cup matches in Mexico."
Responding to these concerns, a Fifa spokesperson said:
"Fifa is in regular contact with all participating member associations, including Iran, to discuss planning for the World Cup. Fifa is looking forward to all participating teams competing as per the match schedule announced on 6 December 2025."
US and Iran's Positions on World Cup Participation
Despite tensions, Iran, which has qualified for its fourth consecutive World Cup, chose not to withdraw from the competition last summer following US strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities.
A message posted on the Iranian national team's Telegram account emphasized that Fifa is the organiser of the World Cup, not any individual country. It stated:
"The country that should be removed is the one that merely carries the title of host but does not have the ability to ensure security for the teams participating in this event."
Previously, President Trump remarked that he "does not care" if Iran participates in the World Cup. Fifa president Gianni Infantino later confirmed that Trump had assured him Iran is "welcome to compete" at the summer finals, despite the ongoing conflict between the two nations.
However, Iran's Minister of Sports and Youth, Ahmad Donyamali, expressed reservations, stating:
"Under no circumstances do we have the appropriate conditions to participate in the World Cup."
When Have Matches Previously Been Moved?
If Iran's games were relocated to Mexico, it would not be the first time matches have been moved due to safety and geopolitical reasons.
Recently, Belarus has played its competitive home games in Hungary because of its support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This included a World Cup qualifier against Scotland last year, held at the ZTE Arena in Zalaegerszeg.
In cricket, political tensions between India and Pakistan have led to the two countries only playing each other at neutral venues during ICC events. India refused to travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy, while Pakistan played their matches in the recent T20 World Cup held in Sri Lanka.
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