Iran to boycott US but not World Cup, federation says

Iran will boycott the United States but still participate in the FIFA World Cup, the country’s football federation president, Mehdi Taj, has said.

Taj made this known in a video released by Iranian press agency Fars on Wednesday, amid uncertainty over Iran’s participation in matches scheduled to be played in the US.

He said: “We will be preparing for the World Cup. We will boycott the United States but not the World Cup.”

Iran is currently scheduled to play its group-stage matches in the United States, but the federation has opened talks with FIFA over the possibility of relocating the fixtures. FIFA has maintained that the tournament schedule remains unchanged.

The development follows rising tensions linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, raising concerns over the safety of Iranian players travelling to the US.

Former US President Donald Trump had warned that Iran’s team could face risks if they travelled for the tournament, triggering reactions from Iranian authorities.

Iran responded, insisting its place at the competition cannot be questioned.

Officials said: “No one can exclude Iran’s national team from the World Cup.”

Meanwhile, Mexico has indicated readiness to host the matches if required.

When asked directly at a press conference if Mexico was open to hosting the fixtures, President Claudia Sheinbaum said: “Yes.”

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She added: “Mexico maintains diplomatic relations with every country in the world, therefore we will wait to see what FIFA decides.”

Iran is scheduled to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles before taking on Egypt in Seattle, though final decisions on venues remain subject to FIFA’s review.

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