Iran is exploring the possibility of relocating their FIFA World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico.
The Middle Eastern nation’s participation in this summer’s tournament across North America has become uncertain following recent airstrikes by the U.S. and Israel on Iran, which in turn led to retaliatory attacks by Iran on U.S. bases in nearby Gulf nations.
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Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed that he did not find it “appropriate” for Iran to participate in the World Cup due to safety concerns for their team.
In response, Mehdi Taj, the president of Iran’s football federation, indicated that one option being considered is to host Iran’s matches in Mexico, a co-host of the tournament.
“Given that Trump has made it clear he cannot guarantee the safety of the Iranian national team, we will certainly not travel to America,” Taj stated on the Iranian embassy’s X account in Mexico. “We are currently in talks with FIFA about moving Iran’s matches to Mexico.”
However, relocating the games at this point could prove to be a logistical challenge, especially as Iran could still potentially find themselves playing in the U.S. during the knockout stages, based on their group stage performance.
Iran is set to play all three of their group matches in the U.S., with their first two contests against New Zealand and Belgium scheduled in Los Angeles, while the final game is against Egypt in Seattle.
FIFA has been approached for a comment on the situation.
New Zealand Football’s chief executive, Andrew Pragnell, expressed skepticism regarding FIFA’s willingness to alter the location of Iran’s matches. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s head coach, Darren Bazeley, stated, “As of now, we are proceeding as if we will be playing against Iran. They are the qualified team we are drawn to face, and until we receive different instructions, we will maintain our preparations accordingly. If circumstances change, we will adapt, but those decisions are for higher authorities than myself.”