Iran Demands World Cup Matches to Be Changed from US
The World Cup is scheduled to take place across the US, Canada, and Mexico. Iran is slated to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June 15 and 21, and then Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
Mehdi Taj, president of the Iranian Football Federation, said in a video released on Wednesday, “We will boycott the United States but not the World Cup,” noting that the federation has begun discussions with FIFA about relocating the matches to Mexico.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed willingness to host Iran’s games, stating, “Mexico maintains diplomatic relations with every country in the world, therefore we will wait to see what FIFA decides.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, however, emphasized on Thursday that the organization wants the tournament to “go ahead as scheduled,” and indicated that Iran’s request is not currently being approved. Last week, Infantino said that US President Donald Trump had assured him the Iranian team would be “welcome” at the tournament, though Trump later suggested the team should avoid traveling to the US “for their own life and safety,” citing security concerns.
The dispute follows a separate incident involving Iranian women footballers in Australia earlier this month. Video footage released by Iranian state media showed a man, driving a utility vehicle covered with Australian flags and anti-Iranian government symbols, ramming the team’s bus multiple times.
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