Mehdi Taj, President of the Iranian Football Federation, stated that Iran will participate in the upcoming FIFA World Cup but intends to boycott the United States amidst ongoing tensions. Citing the news agency AFP, a video released on Wednesday by the Iranian press agency, Fars News Agency, featured Taj saying, “We will prepare for the World Cup. We will boycott the US, not the World Cup.”
Iran’s group-stage matches are currently scheduled to be played in the United States. However, the Federation has initiated discussions with FIFA regarding the possibility of relocating these matches to a different venue. FIFA has so far maintained that the tournament schedule will remain unchanged.
FIFA World Cup: Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Stated
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated on Tuesday that Mexico is prepared to host Iran’s group matches if the need arises. When asked about this possibility, she simply replied, “Yes.” She further added, “Mexico maintains diplomatic relations with every country in the world, so we will wait and see what decision FIFA makes.”
Iran’s participation in this tournament, which is set to take place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, has been a subject of intense discussion since the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East last month. US President Donald Trump had previously warned that the safety of Iranian players could be at risk should they travel to the United States.
Gianni Infantino initially stated that he had received assurances from Trump that the Iranian team would be permitted to participate in the tournament. Iran is scheduled to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, followed by a match against Egypt in Seattle.
However, Trump later asserted that the Iranian team should not attend the tournament “for the sake of their own lives and safety,” a remark that drew strong reactions. Responding to this, Iran declared that “no one can exclude Iran’s national team from the World Cup.” Iran qualified for this tournament approximately a year ago by finishing at the top of its group, becoming the second Asian team, after Japan, to secure a spot.
The team’s base camp for the tournament is currently planned to be established in Tucson, Arizona. Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Monday, Abulfazl Pasandideh criticised the U.S. government for its “lack of cooperation regarding the issuance of visas and the provision of logistical support” for the Iranian delegation. If Iran ultimately withdraws from the tournament, it remains unclear at this time which team would take its place.
