Iran to FIFA: Move our World Cup games out of the United States

By Tolulope Oke

Iran has reportedly opened talks with FIFA to relocate its World Cup fixtures outside the United States following warnings from US President Donald Trump over the team’s safety.

Mehdi Taj, President of the Iranian Football Federation, said Iran would not travel to the US while concerns over the team’s security persist. “When Trump has explicitly stated that he cannot ensure the security of the Iranian national team, we will certainly not travel to America,” he said, adding that negotiations are ongoing to hold the matches in Mexico.

The comments follow Trump’s statement on Truth Social last week, in which he warned: “The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to the World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety.”

Tensions have escalated since US and Israeli strikes killed Iran’s supreme leader, prompting retaliatory attacks and raising questions about Iran’s participation. Iran’s Sports Minister, Ahmad Donyamal, told RTE television that under the current circumstances, “there are no conditions under which we can participate…we definitely have no possibility of participating in this way.”

Iran is scheduled to face New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt on the West Coast in June, with its first two matches at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and the third in Seattle, Washington. While the tournament is co-hosted by Mexico, Canada, and the US, the majority of games are taking place in the US.

A formal withdrawal would be unprecedented in the modern era and leave FIFA scrambling to find a replacement. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), however, has said it has not received official notification of a withdrawal. AFC General Secretary Windsor John told Reuters, “At the end of the day, it’s the federation who should decide if they’re playing, and as of today, the federation has told us that they are going to the World Cup.”