JAKARTA - The Iranian Embassy in Mexico on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, said it was negotiating with FIFA to move Iran's matches in the 2026 World Cup from the United States (US) to Mexico.
The request was inseparable from the statement of US President Donald Trump, who did not encourage Iran to attend the tournament on the grounds of security concerns.
Previously, it was unclear whether the talks were underway until FIFA said the unprecedented changes in World Cup history were not planned in the match schedule agreed three months ago.
Officials from the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) previously said it was up to FIFA and the US to ensure the team's safety during the 2026 World Cup.
The Iranian Embassy posted a statement attributed to FFIRI President Mehdi Taj, who said Iran wanted to move its group stage matches to Mexico to ensure the safety of players and officials.
"When Trump explicitly stated that he could not guarantee the safety of the Iranian National Team, we certainly would not go to America."
"Currently we are negotiating with FIFA to hold Iran's match in the 2026 World Cup in Mexico," the statement read.
In a statement, FIFA said it regularly contacts all participating member associations, including Iran, to discuss planning for the 2026 World Cup.
FIFA hopes that all participating teams can compete according to the match schedule announced on December 6, 2025.
The 2026 World Cup is co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Iran is scheduled to play against New Zealand on June 16, 2026 and Belgium on June 21, 2026 in Inglewood, California, before finishing the group stage in Seattle against Egypt on June 26, 2026.
Changing the match schedule would be unprecedented less than three months before the start of the World Cup.
Trump said last week that Iran was accepted at the 2026 World Cup despite the ongoing war in the Middle East, but added that he did not believe that Iran's presence there was appropriate, for safety and security.
Meanwhile, when asked if Mexico was open to hosting the match, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, in a press conference, agreed.
"Yes. Mexico maintains diplomatic relations with every country in the world. Therefore, we will wait to see what FIFA decides," said Sheinbaum.
Iran has sent mixed signals about its participation in the tournament after the US and Israel launched an attack that killed Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and dozens of other senior figures.
Iran's Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali told state television last week that it was impossible to play because of the evil actions that the US-Israel had done against Iran.
However, after Trump's post, the Iranian national team said on Instagram that no one could exclude them from the tournament.
A government spokesman in Tehran also stressed that it was the responsibility of FIFA and the US as co-hosts to ensure the safety and security of the players.
"FIFA is the organizer of the World Cup. When warnings are issued at the highest level about an unsafe environment for Iranian soccer players, this shows that the host country seems to lack the capacity and ability to provide security for such an important sporting event," said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei.
Football is hugely popular in Iran, a country of more than 90 million people that has qualified for seven men's World Cups, including the last four. The team is ranked 20th in the world and only behind Japan from Asia.
FIFA had previously commented via an Instagram post from Gianni Infantino last week that he had received assurances from Trump that Iran was welcome at the tournament.
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