Mexico’s President, Claudia Sheinbaum, has confirmed that Iran’s national team will not have its 2026 FIFA World Cup matches relocated to Mexico, following a final decision by FIFA to retain the original host venues.

Speaking at a press conference, Sheinbaum stressed that while Mexico remains open to hosting all participating nations, the decision ultimately rested with FIFA, which ruled out any changes due to the “enormous logistical effort” required to alter an already finalised tournament schedule.

“In the end, FIFA decided that match locations cannot be changed. It would make logistics too complicated, and this decision was taken by FIFA,” she said.

Reports in mid-March had indicated that Iran requested a shift of its fixtures from the United States to Mexico amid rising geopolitical tensions, but the proposal was rejected by the governing body.

Iran’s Sports Minister, Ahmad Donyamali, had earlier suggested the possibility of withdrawing from the tournament altogether, adding uncertainty around the country’s participation. However, FIFA President Gianni Infantino later confirmed that Iran will compete as scheduled.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, will proceed with Iran’s group-stage matches remaining in the United States. The team is scheduled to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles before taking on Egypt in Seattle.

Iranian Football Federation president Mehdi Taj has also stated that while the team is boycotting the United States politically, it is not withdrawing from the World Cup.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has raised concerns over Iran’s participation, suggesting it may not be “appropriate” due to safety considerations. (BusinessDay)

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