FIFA rejects Iran’s request to move World Cup matches to Mexico
By Nawaz Gohar ; The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has rejected a request to move Iran’s matches from the United States to Mexico.
Following FIFA’s decision, Iran’s Sports Minister has hinted at a potential boycott of the Football World Cup. According to a FIFA spokesperson, the World Cup 2026 matches will proceed according to the predetermined schedule. “We are in contact with all teams participating in the mega event,” the spokesperson said.
The representative further added that they look forward to conducting the matches as per the World Cup schedule released on December 6, 2025. Earlier, the Iran Football Federation had formally requested FIFA to shift their matches from the U.S. to Mexico.
Mehdi Taj, President of the Iran Football Federation, had previously stated that discussions were ongoing regarding the venue shift. He remarked, “When Donald Trump himself is saying it is not right for us to go to the U.S., then we will not go; therefore, the matches should be moved from the U.S. to Mexico.”
These developments follow recent comments from the U.S. President, who suggested that for the security of the Iranian football team, it would be better if they did not travel to the United States.
