FIFA World Cup to suffer same fate as cricket? Iran urges games to be moved out of USA
India Today
Iran's football federation is pushing to move its 2026 World Cup matches from the US to Mexico over safety fears, in a controversy drawing comparisons to Bangladesh's T20 World Cup crisis.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is facing a participation crisis similar to cricket's recent T20 World Cup controversy, as Iran's football federation pushes to relocate its group stage matches from the United States to Mexico over safety concerns, as per Reuters.
Just as Bangladesh's participation in the T20 World Cup was thrown into doubt following the release of Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL amid security concerns, Iran now finds itself in a comparable situation, with geopolitics threatening to overshadow one of sport's biggest stages.
Mehdi Taj, president of the Iranian football federation, said on Monday that the country would not travel to the US following explicit statements from President Donald Trump that he could not guarantee the security of the Iranian national team. "When Trump has explicitly stated that he cannot ensure the security of the Iranian national team, we will certainly not travel to America," Taj said 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."
FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The global showpiece is due to kick off on June 11 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, with Iran scheduled to play two group stage matches in Los Angeles and one in Seattle. Trump said last week that while Iran was welcome to participate, it might not be appropriate for them to play in the US "for their own life and safety." The comments added to an already tense backdrop, with Iran and the US engaged in one of the most volatile periods in their long and fractious relationship.
Tensions escalated sharply after the US launched airstrikes alongside Israel against Tehran, killing Iran's supreme leader. Iran's sports minister said last week that it was not possible for Iranian players to participate in the tournament in the aftermath of those strikes, raising the prospect of an official withdrawal. Should that happen, it would be the first such withdrawal in the modern era, leaving FIFA with the urgent task of finding a replacement nation at short notice.
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