Iran to boycott US but will play at World Cup, says football chief

Iran will “boycott the United States” but will still participate in this year’s FIFA World Cup 2026, according to Mehdi Taj.

In a video released by Iranian press agency Fars on Wednesday, Taj said: “We will be preparing for the World Cup. We will boycott the United States but not the World Cup.”

Iran is scheduled to play its group-stage matches in the US, part of the tournament hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The country’s football federation has reportedly discussed with FIFA the possibility of relocating its matches, though the global governing body has so far kept the schedule unchanged.

Claudia Sheinbaum stated on Tuesday that Mexico is ready to host Iran’s first-round matches if required due to the conflict in the Middle East. She added: “Mexico maintains diplomatic relations with every country in the world, therefore we will wait to see what FIFA decides.”

Gianni Infantino had earlier said that former US President Donald Trump had assured that the Iranian team would be welcome in the US. However, Trump later sparked controversy by warning that Iranian players’ “life and safety” could be at risk if they traveled to the US.

Iran responded strongly to Trump, asserting that “no one can exclude Iran’s national team from the World Cup.”

The team is scheduled to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, followed by Egypt in Seattle.