Less than three months before the start of the 2026 World Cup, the Iranian Football Federation formally requested FIFA to modify the venue of its matches and move them to Mexico, instead of playing them in States United as originally planned.
The request responds to security and operational issues in the midst of the escalating conflict in the Middle East. As explained by the federation's boss, Mehdi Taj, the national team will not travel to U.S. territory under current conditions. “Once Trump explicitly stated that he cannot guarantee the safety of the Iranian national team, we will not travel to the United States. We are negotiating with FIFA so that Iran's World Cup matches are played in Mexico,”
he said.
His sayings respond to recent statements by the American president about the situation of Iran in the World Cup. “Iran's national soccer team is welcome to the World Cup, but I really don't think it's appropriate for them to be there, for their own lives and safety,” the president said through Truth Social
.The request was submitted by the Iranian ambassador and must now be evaluated by FIFA, in conjunction with the Iranian Ministry of Sports and Youth. From Tehran, they argue that there are no minimum guarantees to compete on US soil, both because of political tension and because of possible inconveniences in the issuance of visas and equipment logistics
