FIFA has announced that it will not relocate Iran’s matches from the upcoming summer World Cup from the United States to Mexico, despite calls from Iranian officials concerned about player safety. The president of Iran’s football federation had indicated that discussions were taking place to shift the fixtures in light of escalating tensions and conflicts involving Iran, the U.S., and Israel.
The backdrop of this situation is fraught with conflict, including recent airstrikes by the U.S. and Israel against Iranian targets, which have led Iran to retaliate against U.S. allies in the Gulf region. These developments have understandably raised alarms about the safety of Iranian athletes during the World Cup.
FIFA, however, expressed optimism in a recent statement, emphasizing its anticipation for all participating nations to abide by the original match schedule. The World Cup, co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, will take place between June 11 and July 19, with Iran set to compete against New Zealand on June 16 and Belgium on June 21 in Los Angeles, followed by a match against Egypt in Seattle on June 27.
In a related statement, U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned that while he welcomes Iran’s participation, he believes it may not be in the best interest of the team’s safety to travel to the U.S. in light of existing hostilities. This comment highlighted the precarious situation surrounding their intended participation. In response, Mehdi Taj, the president of the Iranian football federation, reaffirmed through a social media post linked to the Iranian embassy in Mexico that they would not participate if the U.S. could not guarantee their safety, while also mentioning ongoing negotiations with FIFA to consider hosting their matches in Mexico instead.
A FIFA spokesperson clarified that the organization is consistently communicating with all participating member associations, including Iran, to ensure proper planning for the tournament. They reiterated their commitment to seeing all teams compete according to the match schedule that was initially released on December 6, 2025.
Iran, having qualified for their fourth consecutive World Cup, faced the decision not to withdraw from the tournament even when tensions escalated last summer due to U.S. airstrikes targeting their nuclear facilities. A message conveyed through the national team’s Telegram account pointed out that FIFA is the governing body of the World Cup, rather than any individual nation, emphasizing that the true responsibility lies with the host country to ensure the safety and security of all participating teams.
In the past, Trump has indicated a lack of concern over Iran’s participation in the World Cup. However, FIFA President Gianni Infantino assured that Trump had conveyed to him that Iran would be welcome to compete, despite the political tensions between the two nations. Following this, Iran’s Minister of Sports and Youth, Ahmad Donyamali, declared that under the current conditions, it would be inappropriate for the Iranian team to participate in the World Cup. This statement underscores the complexities and challenges that overshadow Iran’s involvement in the prestigious tournament.
World of sports 
Leave a comment