Iran Seeks to Shift World Cup Matches from US to Mexico Amid Security Concerns

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Mexico City: Iran’s football federation is in talks with FIFA to relocate its first-round World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico, citing security concerns linked to the ongoing Middle East conflict, the Iranian embassy in Mexico said on Monday.

Iran’s participation in the upcoming tournament, set to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, has been thrown into doubt since tensions escalated in the region late last month.

Iranian football federation chief Mehdi Taj said the team would not travel to the United States if safety could not be guaranteed.
“When US President Donald Trump has explicitly stated that he cannot ensure the security of the Iranian national team, we will certainly not travel to America,” Taj said in remarks shared by the embassy.

He added that negotiations are under way with FIFA to stage Iran’s matches in Mexico instead.

Iran are currently scheduled to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles before taking on Egypt in Seattle. The team’s base camp is set to be in Tucson, Arizona.

Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, criticised what he described as a lack of co-operation from the US government, particularly regarding visa issuance and logistical support for the Iranian delegation. He said he had formally proposed moving the matches to Mexico.

FIFA has not yet issued an official response.

The issue escalated after Trump said last week that while Iran’s team would be “welcome” in the United States, they should avoid travelling “for their own life and safety”, drawing criticism from Iranian officials.

Iran, in response, stated that no country has the authority to exclude its national team from the World Cup.

The dispute comes amid heightened tensions following a major military escalation involving the United States, Israel and Iran, raising broader concerns about security for international events.