Iran’s football federation has opened talks with FIFA about relocating its 2026 World Cup fixtures from the United States to Mexico, citing concerns over player safety, federation president Mehdi Taj said. Taj made the comment on Monday via the Iranian embassy in Mexico’s X account and said that if US authorities cannot guarantee the team’s security, Iran will not travel to the United States. He added that the federation is negotiating with FIFA to stage Iran’s matches in Mexico instead.
The move follows remarks from Iran’s sports minister last week that the national team could not take part in the tournament after air strikes by US and Israeli forces in late February that killed the supreme leader and other senior political and military figures. US President Donald Trump has said the Iranian team would be welcome to participate, but suggested it may not be appropriate for them to play on US soil ‘for their own life and safety.’
Iran qualified for the expanded 48-team World Cup, to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico beginning June 11. The Iranian side is currently scheduled to play two group games in Los Angeles and one in Seattle. Iran secured qualification on March 25, 2025, becoming the first Asian nation to clinch a spot for the tournament.
The conflict between the US, Israel and Iran began on February 28, 2026, and entered its third week at the time of Taj’s statement, adding urgency to Iran’s request for a venue change.