Iran’s participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is in jeopardy due to the ongoing war between Iran, the United States and Israel, which killed the country’s supreme leader and several senior officials. Ahmad Donyamali, Iran’s Minister of Sports recently said that their team will not participate in the World Cup 2026. Now there is more progress in this matter. Iran’s football federation has confirmed it is in talks with FIFA to move its 2026 World Cup group matches from the United States to Mexico.
Why Iran Wants to Change
Iran’s football president Mehdi Taj said the team will not travel to the United States after President Donald Trump admitted he could not guarantee their safety. “While Trump has clearly said that he cannot guarantee the safety of the Iranian national team, we will definitely not travel to America,” Taj posted via the Iranian embassy in Mexico’s X account.
Iran’s sports minister previously warned that players would not be able to participate in matches hosted in the United States due to security risks. While Trump insisted Iran was welcome to play, he suggested it might be safer for them to ban matches in the country.
Competition Effects
Iran qualified for the 48-team World Cup last year, becoming the first Asian nation to qualify. They are scheduled to play two matches in Los Angeles and one in Seattle, facing Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand in Group G.
If FIFA approves the switch, Iran’s games will be moved to Mexico, marking a major change in facilities. Similar stadium modifications have taken place in the past in international sports due to political disputes, such as India refusing to play cricket matches in Pakistan and Scotland’s World Cup qualifier against Belarus being moved to a neutral venue.
What Will Continue
FIFA has yet to comment on the request. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has said it has not received any official notice of withdrawal from Iran, adding that the confederation has confirmed its intention to participate. However, if FIFA rejects the stadium change, Iran could refuse to play in the United States, forcing them to withdraw and leaving FIFA to find a replacement team.
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