March 17 (Reuters) – Iran’s football federation is in discussions with FIFA about moving their World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico due to concerns about the safety of their players, Iranian football president Mehdi Taj said on Monday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that Iran were welcome to participate but suggested it might not be appropriate for them to play in the U.S. “for their own life and safety”.
“When Trump has explicitly stated that he cannot ensure the security of the Iranian national team, we will certainly not travel to America,” said Taj in a post on the Iranian embassy in Mexico’s X account.
“We are negotiating with FIFA to hold Iran’s World Cup matches in Mexico.”
Soccer’s global governing body FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
There have been growing doubts about Iran’s participation in the tournament while at war with one of the co-hosts. The global showpiece is due to kick off on June 11 in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with Iran scheduled to play two group matches in Los Angeles and one in Seattle.
Iran’s sports minister said last week it was not possible for the Iranian players to participate in the tournament after the U.S. launched airstrikes alongside Israel against Tehran, killing the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader.
An official withdrawal would be the first in the modern era and leave FIFA with the urgent task of finding a replacement.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said on Monday it had not received any notification that Iran will withdraw from the event.
“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,” AFC General Secretary Windsor John told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.
(Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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