Iran Wants To Move Its World Cup Matches From L.a. To Mexico. Fifa Says No

GENEVA — The nationalist wrangling betwixt Iran, FIFA and U.S. President Donald Trump complete nan communicative of playing successful nan World Cup shifted connected Tuesday to Mexico wherever President Claudia Sheinbaum seemed unfastened to a proposal by Islamic Republic diplomats that Iran’s games successful June beryllium moved to her country.

The Iranian ambassador and embassy successful Mexico City said nan state was negotiating pinch FIFA to move Iran’s 3 group-stage matches from nan United States to Mexico aft Trump past week discouraged nan squad from attending nan 48-nation tournament, citing information concerns.

It was already unclear whether specified talks were moreover happening earlier FIFA said specified unprecedented changes successful World Cup history were not planned to a lucifer schedule agreed 3 months ago.

Sheinbaum was asked astir it Tuesday during her regular briefing.

“They are discussing pinch FIFA whether it’s feasible because they were going to clasp nan [games] successful nan United States,” she said. “They are looking into whether they tin clasp [them] successful Mexico, and we will pass you erstwhile nan clip comes. Mexico has relations pinch each countries successful nan world. We’ll spot what FIFA decides and past we’ll denote it.”

In a statement, FIFA said it is “in regular interaction pinch each participating personnel associations, including [the Islamic Republic of] Iran, to talk readying for nan FIFA World Cup 2026. FIFA is looking guardant to each participating teams competing arsenic per nan lucifer schedule announced connected Dec. 6, 2025.”

The Feb. 28 commencement of U.S. and Israeli bombing of Iran that killed nan Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and elder officials instantly formed uncertainty connected nan nationalist shot squad going to play astatine slightest 3 World Cup games successful nan U.S., which is co-hosting nan astir watched world sports arena pinch Mexico and Canada.

Iran’s shot federation has not canceled its World Cup introduction pinch FIFA, though charismatic comments person variously suggested nan U.S. is incapable aliases unwilling to guarantee nan delegation’s unafraid presence and accommodation.

Since past week, Trump has variously said “I don’t really care” if nan Iran squad comes, that it was invited and would beryllium treated for illustration each players arsenic stars, and that nan players’ information was astatine risk.

In comments posted precocious Monday connected nan embassy website, Iran’s Ambassador to Mexico Abolfazl Pasandideh urged FIFA to move nan team’s games to Mexico, saying nan U.S. was not cooperative connected visas.

“We emotion nan Mexican group very overmuch and for us, nan champion business is for our games to beryllium held successful Mexico,” he was quoted arsenic saying by state-run news agency IRNA.

An Iranian authorities spokesperson and nan squad itself person said successful caller days it is up to FIFA and nan U.S. to support nan squad safe during nan World Cup. The Iran team’s planned training campy is successful Tucson, Arizona.

Pasandideh’s embassy successful Mexico City besides posted a statement attributed to nationalist shot federation president Mehdi Taj saying Iran wants to move its group-stage matches retired of nan U.S.

“When Trump has explicitly stated that he cannot guarantee nan information of nan Iranian nationalist team, we will surely not recreation to America,” nan connection said. “We are presently negotiating pinch FIFA to clasp Iran’s matches successful nan World Cup successful Mexico.”

Iran is scheduled to play New Zealand connected June 15 and Belgium connected June 21 astatine SoFi Stadium successful Inglewood earlier finishing group play successful Seattle against Egypt connected June 26.

Moving nan games would beryllium singular little than 3 months earlier nan World Cup and risks being judged a nonaccomplishment successful nan history of tourney hosting.

It besides is not envisaged by Iran’s first opponent.

New Zealand shot federation main executive Andrew Pragnell said Monday: “I besides don’t foresee it arsenic remotely feasible” to move scheduled games to different country. Tens of thousands of tickets person been sold for Iran games, including to visiting fans who person booked flights to nan U.S.

“By trying to move nan lucifer schedule, you really create much problems down nan track,” Pragnell told New Zealand media outlet Stuff, adding “I don’t deliberation it’ll happen.”

The Belgian shot federation declined to remark Tuesday.

Trump said past week that nan Iran squad was invited astatine nan World Cup contempt nan ongoing warfare successful nan Middle East but “I really don’t judge it is due that they beryllium there, for their ain life and safety.”

Iran’s mixed signals see Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali telling authorities TV past week that it was not imaginable to play “due to nan wicked acts they person done against Iran.”

But aft Trump’s station nan nationalist squad said connected Instagram that “no 1 tin exclude” it from nan tourney and a authorities spokesperson successful Tehran stressed it was nan work of FIFA and nan U.S. arsenic a co-host federation to support players safe and secure.

“FIFA is nan organizer of nan World Cup,” Iran Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said. “When warnings are issued astatine nan highest level astir nan situation being unsafe for Iranian shot players, this indicates that nan big state apparently lacks nan capacity and expertise to supply information for specified an important sporting event.”

Soccer is followed passionately successful Iran, a federation of much than 90 cardinal group which has qualified for 7 men’s World Cups and each of nan past 4 editions. The squad is classed No. 20 successful nan world by FIFA and down only Japan from Asia.

FIFA has not commented successful caller days beyond an Instagram post by president Gianni Infantino past week that he’d received assurances from Trump that Iran was invited astatine nan tournament.

Dunbar and Pye constitute for nan Associated Press. Amir-Hussein Rajdy successful Cairo and Fabiola Sanchez successful Mexico City contributed to this report.