Iran negotiating with FIFA to move World Cup games to Mexico from US

March 17 : Iran's football federation is in discussions with FIFA about moving their World Cup matches to Mexico from the United States due to concerns about the safety of their players, Iranian football president Mehdi Taj said on Monday.

Iran's participation in the global soccer showpiece was thrown into doubt after co-hosts the United States launched joint air strikes at the country along with Israel.

U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that Iran were welcome to participate but suggested it might not be appropriate for them to play in the U.S. "for their own life and safety".

"When Trump has explicitly stated that he cannot ensure the security of the Iranian national team, we will certainly not travel to America," said Taj in a post on the Iranian embassy in Mexico's X account.

"We are negotiating with FIFA to hold Iran's World Cup matches in Mexico."

Soccer's global governing body FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

HUGE LOGISTICAL SWITCH

Iran secured a trip to a fourth successive World Cup by topping their group in the third round of Asian qualifying last year.

The tournament is due to kick off on June 11 in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with Iran scheduled to play two group matches in Los Angeles and one in Seattle. Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand are Iran's opponents in Group G.

The organising committees for matches in Los Angeles and Seattle did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside normal U.S. business hours.

The prospect of shifting Iran's fixtures to Mexico would mark a significant logistical switch for the tournament, though relocating matches for security or geopolitical reasons is not unprecedented.

In September last year, Scotland secured a 2-0 World Cup qualifying win