Iran says it is “negotiating with FIFA to hold Iran’s World Cup matches in Mexico” rather than U.S.

Iran’s national soccer federation is in discussions with FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, about moving Iran’s World Cup matches to Mexico from the U.S. due to concerns about the safety of its players, the head of the Iranian federation said Monday.

President Trump said last week that Iran was welcome to participate in the World Cup, which is being hosted this year jointly by the U.S., Mexico and Canada, but he added in a post on his own Truth Social platform: “I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety.”

Irani’s sports minister previously ruled out taking part in the championship, but in a post on its X account, the Iranian Embassy in Mexico cited the country’s soccer federation chief Mehdi Taj as saying: “When Trump has explicitly stated that he cannot ensure the security of the Iranian national team, we will certainly not travel to America.”

“We are negotiating with FIFA to hold Iran’s World Cup matches in Mexico,” the post quoted Taj as saying. The Reuters news agency said FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter.