Iran links its World Cup 2026 participation to FIFA’s response on match relocation

By Tahani Elghazaly
Published April 8, 2026

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Iran said its final decision on taking part in the 2026 FIFA World Cup will depend on FIFA’s response to a request to move its group-stage matches from the United States to Mexico, adding a political and security issue to tournament preparations ahead of kickoff in June 2026.

Reuters reported that the Iranian football federation has been in contact with FIFA since March to discuss moving all three of Iran’s group-stage matches out of the United States. Iranian Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali said the request remains active and that the government has not yet received a final answer, adding that participation will depend on whether adequate security guarantees are provided.

According to FIFA’s published schedule, Iran is set to face New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt in Group G. FIFA’s team fixtures page shows the matches against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles and the match against Egypt in Seattle. Reuters also reported that FIFA is still standing by the announced schedule, following earlier comments from President Gianni Infantino that Iran would play as planned.

Reuters reported in March that Mexico had signaled it would be ready to host Iran’s matches if FIFA approved the change, but no official venue switch has been confirmed so far. The matter therefore remains unresolved pending FIFA’s final decision.