MEXICO CITY: Iran’s football federation is “negotiating” with FIFA to move the country’s first round matches at the World Cup from the United States to Mexico, citing the conflict in the Middle East, the Iranian embassy in Mexico said.
Iran’s participation in this summer’s finals in the US, Canada and Mexico has been in doubt since the war began late last month.
“When [US President Donald] Trump has explicitly stated that he cannot guarantee the security of the Iranian national team, we will definitely not travel to America,” Iranian football chief Mehdi Taj said in comments on the embassy’s X account.
“We are currently negotiating with FIFA to allow Iran’s matches at the World Cup to take place in Mexico.”
Iran will face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, followed by Egypt in Seattle.
The team’s base camp for the tournament will currently be in Tucson, Arizona.
Abolfazl Pasandideh, Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, denounced “the lack of cooperation from the US government regarding the issuance of visas and provision of logistical support” to the Iranian delegation ahead of the World Cup in a statement on the embassy’s website on Monday.
He added that he had also “suggested to FIFA that Iran’s matches be moved from the United States to Mexico.”
FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from AFP.
Trump caused an uproar last week after declaring that while the Iranian soccer team would be “welcome” to the US, they would not be allowed to travel to the tournament “for their own lives and safety.”
Trump’s comments came after FIFA President Gianni Infantino gave assurances that Trump had promised him the Iranian team would be welcome.
Iran responded to Trump’s comments, saying: “No one can exclude Iran’s national team from the World Cup.”
Iran’s place in the tournament was called into question after the United States and Israel launched a full-scale offensive against the Islamic Republic, which responded with waves of missiles and drones aimed at Israeli territory and American targets in the Middle East.
