Iran "will boycott the United States" but "not the World Cup," according to the president of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, in a video released by the Iranian news agency Fars.
The president of the federation did not clarify, however, whether the Iranian team will play its group stage matches in the United States as scheduled, or in Mexico, with whom they have been in talks since this week to possibly move their matches there.
FIFA remains firm in its stance that Iran should play in the USA and that the schedule should not be altered. Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, said on Tuesday that her country was prepared to host Iran's group stage matches if necessary.
The official schedule has Iran facing New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles and Egypt in Seattle. If they finish second in their group, Iran would have to face the United States in the round of 16 in Dallas.
Iran's participation in the 2026 World Cup has been in doubt since the military intervention in the country by the United States and Israel.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.
