Iranian Football Federation President Mehdi Taj has declared that his country's national team will not travel to the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, citing serious security concerns amid escalating military conflict between the two nations.
Speaking in a statement, Taj confirmed that negotiations are underway with FIFA to relocate Iran's group stage matches to Mexico instead.
"When Trump has explicitly stated that he cannot ensure the security of the Iranian national team, we will certainly not travel to America," Taj said, referring to recent comments by US President Donald Trump.
Trump had previously stated that while Iran is welcome to the World Cup, he does not believe it would be appropriate for them to be there given their own life and safety concerns. The remarks came against the backdrop of ongoing US and Israeli strikes on Iran, which began in late February.
Iran have been drawn in Group G alongside New Zealand, Egypt, and Belgium. They are scheduled to face New Zealand on June 16 and Belgium on June 21, both in Inglewood, California, before concluding group play against Egypt in Seattle on June 27.
FIFA has stated it remains in contact with all participating member associations and looks forward to all teams competing as per the announced match schedule. The governing body has not commented on the feasibility of relocating matches less than three months before the tournament.
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