Mehdi Taj also mentioned that Iran has no plans to withdraw from the tournament, even though they will not travel to America for their games.
As one of the early qualifiers, Iran’s participation has been questioned following the US and Israel’s recent aggressive actions against Tehran, which included the assassination of top leaders, such as Ayatollah Khamenei. The World Cup is set to occur from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
While Iran is currently expected to play its opening group-stage matches in the US, Taj disclosed that the Iranian FA (FFIRI) is in negotiations with FIFA to relocate these matches to Mexico. He reiterated that although Iran would ‘boycott America,’ they have no intention of withdrawing from the global tournament.
“We will boycott America, but we will not boycott the World Cup,” FFIRI President Taj told the Fars News Agency on Wednesday.
To prepare, the Iranian squad is conducting a training camp in Turkey and will engage in two friendly matches, as mentioned by him.
Team Melli is also scheduled to compete against Nigeria and Costa Rica later this month in Antalya, in a four-nation tournament that was moved from Jordan due to regional instability.
Taj made his remarks on Wednesday while welcoming the women’s national team members back at the border crossing from Turkey after their extended journey from Australia.
Players coming back from the Women’s Asian Cup in Australia reportedly faced offers of asylum from the host nation due to safety concerns at home. While a few considered it, only two ultimately decided to stay.
Meanwhile, Mexico has shown a willingness to host Iran’s matches, with President Claudia Sheinbaum expressing openness to accommodating Iran’s World Cup games against New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt in June.
However, the final decision lies with FIFA.
Furthermore, FIFA indicated it is “looking forward to all participating teams competing as per the match schedule announced on December 6, 2025,” while ongoing discussions with FFIRI continue.
The global players’ union FIFPRO has also chimed in, emphasizing the need to ensure safety for all participants. The Asia-Pacific president highlighted FIFA’s duty to carry out a thorough human rights and safety assessment ahead of the tournament.
“FIFA has an institutional responsibility to protect human rights. It is crucial that FIFA conducts a comprehensive human rights impact assessment, ensuring that every participant at the World Cup, every player and every fan, can enjoy safety, with all potential risks identified and effectively mitigated,” Beau Busch, the Asia-Pacific president of FIFPRO, stated to Reuters.
