Tehran’s envoy in Mexico Abolfazi Pasandideh has called on the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) to change its World Cup 2026 matches from the United States to Mexico.
“We request FIFA to reconsider the venue of Iran squad’s matches and to shift them to Mexico due to security concerns,” local media quoted Ambassador Pasandideh as saying in an interview with UNO TV.
He said that safety considerations for the team’s members are a serious issue as Iran’s national team is scheduled to play its matches in the United States in June and July.
The concerns came to light after U.S. President Donald Trump said in his Truth social media platform that Iranian players should skip the World Cup in the United States “for their own safety”.
Ranked 20th in world ranking, Iran have qualified for the upcoming FIFA Cup and will participate in the event for the seventh time and as their fourth straight World Cup edition.
“Without Iran's participation, the World Cup would no longer be a symbol of friendship and peace,” said Pasandideh.
Last week, Iran’s Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali said the country’s football squad would not take part in the World Cup matches in the United States because of the ongoing joint U.S-Israeli operation against Iran.
“What has happened over the past months shows that the conditions for our national football team to participate in the World Cup do not exist,” he said in an interview on state IRIB TV, “So the team will not participate in the upcoming event.”
However, his remarks were ruled out later with Iranian sports authorities including the national Football Federation officials reaffirming Tehran’s decision to take part in the upcoming global tournament.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino had said last week also, that President Trump had assured him that the Iranian men's football team was welcome to the United States.
"President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,” Infantino said in a post on X.
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