Iran Asks FIFA to Move World Cup Games to Mexico
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Iran's embassy in Mexico announced the country is negotiating with FIFA to relocate its World Cup matches from the U.S. to Mexico, citing Trump's statement that he could not ensure the Iranian team's safety
- FIFA pushed back, saying unprecedented changes were not planned to the match schedule agreed on Dec. 6, 2025, and that it "is looking forward to all participating teams competing" as scheduled
- Iranian soccer federation president Mehdi Taj said in a statement: "When Trump has explicitly stated that he cannot ensure the security of the Iranian national team, we will certainly not travel to America," confirming Iran is in talks to hold matches in Mexico
- Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said her country is open to hosting: "Mexico maintains diplomatic relations with every country in the world, therefore we will wait to see what FIFA decides"
- Iran's Foreign Ministry shifted responsibility to FIFA and the U.S. as co-host, with spokesman Esmail Baghaei saying high-level safety warnings suggest the host country "lacks the capacity and ability to provide security for such an important sporting event"
- Iran has sent mixed signals: Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali told state TV playing was "not possible" after U.S. and Israeli attacks, while the national team posted on Instagram that "no one can exclude" it from the tournament
- Iran is scheduled to face New Zealand on June 16, Belgium on June 21 in Inglewood, California, and Egypt on June 26 in Seattle; the team is ranked No. 20 in the world and has qualified for seven men's World Cups, including the last four
Why it matters: With the first match fewer than 11 weeks away, a sitting co-host president is openly questioning whether a qualified team should be in the country, and that team is asking to be moved. FIFA's public rejection of the schedule change puts the burden on Iran to either accept U.S. hosting or withdraw, while Iran's mixed messages — boycott threats from the sports minister, defiance from the team, blame-shifting from the foreign ministry — leave the federation's actual position unclear.
