Iran football chief vows to ‘boycott America, but not the World Cup’ amid bid to move matches to Mexico | OneFootball

Iran’s football federation president has reportedly declared the nation will "boycott America, but not the World Cup”, amid escalating doubts over their participation in the tournament.

The statement follows US and Israeli air strikes on Iran since late February, casting a shadow over the team’s scheduled group matches, which are all set to take place in the United States this summer.

Mehdi Taj, the head of Iran’s football federation, was quoted by the Fars news agency on Wednesday stating: "We will boycott America, but we will not boycott the World Cup."

This echoed earlier remarks attributed to Mr Taj on Tuesday, posted on the Iranian embassy in Mexico’s X account, where he claimed to be "negotiating" with Fifa to relocate Iran’s fixtures to Mexico.

However, the Press Association understands that as of Thursday morning, Fifa had received no official communication from the Iranian federation regarding any relocation.

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Trump said last week it would not be ‘appropriate’ for Iran to play at the World Cup (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP) (AP)

Fifa itself issued a statement on Tuesday, appearing to dismiss the possibility of moving games, affirming it anticipated all teams competing "as per the match schedule announced on December 6, 2025."

Even if group stage matches were to be moved, potential issues would persist for subsequent knockout rounds.

For instance, if both Iran and the US were to finish second in their respective groups, they would be slated to meet in Dallas on 3 July.

Donald Trump commented last week that it would not be "appropriate" for Iran to play at the World Cup "for their life and safety."

Despite the uncertainty, Mr Taj reportedly informed the Fars news agency on Wednesday that Iran intends to proceed with friendly matches against Nigeria and Costa Rica in Turkey later this month.

Iran have been placed in Group G at the World Cup and are due to play New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt, with the first two matches slated for California and their final game scheduled for Seattle.