Iran Says It's Boycotting the U.S., Not FIFA World Cup

March 20, 2026 | 11:21 am

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Geopolitical tensions loom over the 2026 World Cup after Iran declared a boycott against the United States. Iran is still committed to participating in the tournament amid concerns about the security of their national team.

President of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, stated that the country will continue to prepare to participate in the 2026 World Cup, which is jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. "We will be preparing for the World Cup. We will boycott the United States, but we will not boycott the World Cup," said Taj, as quoted by ESPN on Friday, March 20, 2026.

Iran's participation was previously in doubt after the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on the country at the end of February. Iran was scheduled to play all group stage matches in the United States. However, Taj emphasized that they are trying to relocate the matches.

In a statement posted by the Iranian Embassy in Mexico on the X platform, Taj mentioned that Iran is negotiating with FIFA to move their matches to Mexico. "When [President Donald] Trump has explicitly stated that he cannot ensure the security of the Iranian national team, we will certainly not travel to America," the statement read. "We are currently negotiating with FIFA to hold Iran's matches in the World Cup in Mexico."

FIFA stated that they are in continuous communication with all participating associations, including Iran, in preparation for the 2026 World Cup. "FIFA is looking forward to all participating teams competing as per the match schedule announced on December 6, 2025," according to FIFA's statement.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino also emphasized that they hope all teams can participate and uphold sportsmanship. "We have a schedule. We will soon have the 48 competing teams confirmed and we want the FIFA World Cup to go ahead as scheduled," said Infantino.

However, relocating Iran's match venues is not easy. If both Iran and the United States qualify for the knockout stages and finish at certain positions, they could meet at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, on July 3, 2026. Changing the schedule or match venues less than three months before the start of the tournament would be unprecedented.

Previously, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that it was inappropriate for Iran to play in the World Cup due to safety concerns. On the other hand, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that their country is open to being an additional host if requested. "Mexico maintains diplomatic relations with every country in the world, therefore we will wait to see what FIFA decides," Sheinbaum said.

Meanwhile, Iran continues its preparation by planning friendly matches against Nigeria and Costa Rica in Turkey at the end of this month.

Read: World Cup 2026: Is the US-Iran War an Ethical Tipping Point?

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