World football governing body, FIFA, appears to have ruled out moving Iran’s matches at this summer’s World Cup to Mexico from the United States.
The president of Iran’s Football Federation had said negotiations were underway to move fixtures in order to ensure their players’ safety.
It comes amid US and Israeli strikes on Iran, which has responded with attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf.
However, on Tuesday, FIFA said in a statement it was looking forward to nations “competing as per the match schedule.”
The US is co-hosting the World Cup, which takes place between June 11 and 19 July, with Canada and Mexico.
Iran is scheduled to face New Zealand on June 16 and Belgium on June 21, both in Los Angeles, and Egypt in Seattle on June 27.
Last week, US President Donald Trump said that while Iran is “welcome to the World Cup,” he does not think “it is appropriate” they attend “for their own life and 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 Iranian football Federation President, Mehdi Taj, in a post on a social media account belonging to the Iranian embassy in Mexico.
“We are negotiating with FIFA to hold Iran’s World Cup matches in Mexico,” Taj added.
Read also:
- Iran in talks with FIFA to move World Cup matches over security concerns
- Wales captain Aaron Ramsey excluded from World Cup play-offs squad
- NBA condemns judge for ordering lawyer to kneel in court
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 December 6, 2025.”
Iran, which has qualified for a fourth consecutive World Cup, decided not to pull out of the competition last summer after the US bombed three nuclear facilities in the country.
A recent message on the national team’s Telegram account said FIFA is the organiser of the World Cup and “not any single country.”
It added that “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.”
