Iran is in talks with FIFA about moving its World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico, raising uncertainty for teams – including New Zealand – that could face them.
Iran’s football federation says safety concerns for players are driving the discussions, following comments from US President Donald Trump.
Trump said last week that Iran would be permitted to take part in the tournament but suggested it might not be appropriate for them to play matches in the US "for their own life and safety".
Iranian football president Mehdi Taj said it had prompted talks with FIFA about relocating matches.
"When Trump has explicitly stated that he cannot ensure the security of the Iranian national team, we will certainly not travel to America," Taj said in a post shared on the Iranian embassy in Mexico’s X account.
"We are negotiating with FIFA to hold Iran’s World Cup matches in Mexico."
The United States is set to co‑host the 2026 World Cup alongside Mexico and Canada, with matches scheduled across all three countries.
Iran minister says US attacks mean country can’t take part in World Cup
“Due to the wicked acts they have done against Iran, they have imposed two wars on us over just eight or nine months and have killed and martyred thousands of our people — definitely it’s not possible for us to take part."
Thu, Mar 12
In a statement to 1News, New Zealand Football said the team was "preparing to play Iran in LA in our opening game and will continue to plan for this until we hear otherwise".
All New Zealand games at the FIFA World Cup will be available to watch live and free on TVNZ+ and TVNZ1.
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