Iran seeks relocation of World Cup matches from the U.S. to Mexico.
Iran is aiming to relocate their FIFA World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico.
The Middle Eastern country’s involvement in this summer’s tournament in North America has been thrown into uncertainty following air strikes by the U.S. and Israel on Iran, which subsequently responded with assaults on U.S. bases in other Gulf nations.
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U.S. President Donald Trump remarked last week that he did not believe it was “suitable” for Iran to attend the World Cup “for their own safety and well-being.”
Now, Mehdi Taj, the president of Iran’s football federation, has indicated that one option being explored is to shift the team’s matches to co-host Mexico.
“When Trump has clearly stated that he cannot guarantee the safety of the Iranian national team, we will certainly not travel to America,” Taj mentioned in a statement shared on the X account of the Iranian embassy in Mexico.
“We are currently in discussions with FIFA to arrange for Iran’s matches in the World Cup to take place in Mexico.”
Relocating the games at this late stage would present logistical challenges, especially since Iran could still find themselves in the U.S. during the knockout rounds depending on their group stage performance.
Iran is scheduled to play all three of their group matches in the U.S.
Their first two matches, against New Zealand and Belgium, are planned to occur in Los Angeles, while their final game against Egypt is slated for Seattle.
FIFA has been approached for a statement.
New Zealand Football chief executive Andrew Pragnell expressed skepticism to local media on Tuesday regarding FIFA’s willingness to move Iran’s matches.
The head coach of the New Zealand national team, Darren Bazeley, informed reporters in the country: “At this moment, we are still proceeding as if we are facing Iran.
“They are the team that qualified, and we have been drawn against them. That remains the fixture, and until we receive different instructions, we will continue our preparations accordingly.
“Of course, if circumstances change, we will address that, but those discussions would involve individuals at a higher level than myself.”
