Iran asks FIFA to shift 2026 World Cup games to Mexico
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- Iran's Football Federation is negotiating with FIFA to move its 2026 World Cup group matches from the US to Mexico, with president Mehdi Taj citing Trump's statement that he cannot ensure the team's security.
- The Iranian Sports Minister said players cannot participate after the US and Israel launched air attacks on Iran in late February, which killed the country's supreme leader and several political and military leaders.
- Trump said the Iranian team is welcome to compete but suggested it might not be appropriate for them to play in the US "for their own life and safety."
- Iran is scheduled to play two group matches in Los Angeles and one in Seattle in the 48-team tournament, which runs from June 11 across the US, Canada, and Mexico.
- Iran became the first Asian nation to qualify for the World Cup on March 25, 2025; the US-Israel war on Iran began February 28, 2026, and is now in its third week.
Why it matters: With Iran refusing to travel to the US, FIFA faces a choice between granting the relocation or leaving a qualified nation locked out of a tournament starting June 11. The stakes extend beyond logistics: the request stems from an active US-Israel war on Iran that has killed Iran's supreme leader — a geopolitical rupture the sporting world rarely confronts.
