Iran has proposed moving its matches in the 2026 World Cup from the United States to co-host Mexico, citing the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The official Iranian news agency IRNA quoted Sports Minister Ahmad Doniamale as saying that they would study the proposal in cooperation with FIFA.
Doniamale stated, “I hope that conditions will be created that will allow our youth to participate in the World Cup despite everything.”
He added, “Our ambassador in Mexico has contacted the Mexican authorities so that they can coordinate with FIFA to host our matches.”
He continued, “We would like to play in Mexico, but we all know that after the draw and the preparation of training camps and stadiums, it seems impossible at the moment.”
Iran is scheduled to face Belgium, New Zealand, and Egypt in the group stage. All three matches were originally planned to be played in the United States, which is co-hosting the tournament from June 11 to July 19 with Mexico and Canada.
Doniamale had ruled out Iran’s participation in the World Cup last Wednesday.
The following day, US President Donald Trump stated that it was “inappropriate” for Iran to play for security reasons, a claim rejected by Iran, which maintained that such decisions rest solely with FIFA.
