Iran to Continue World Cup Preparations but Refuses to Play Matches in the United State

Iran will continue preparing for the 2026 World Cup but will not travel to the United States for its group fixtures, Iran Football Federation president Mehdi Taj said on Wednesday.

Taj confirmed Team Melli remain in training and will play friendlies in Turkey ahead of the tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 19 and is hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. Iran qualified early for the finals but its participation was cast into doubt after tensions between Tehran and Washington intensified in late February.

The national side are scheduled to stage all three group games in the United States. Taj said the federation is negotiating with FIFA to relocate Iran's matches to Mexico. He described the decision as a boycott of the United States but stressed it is not a boycott of the World Cup itself: "We will boycott America, but we will not boycott the World Cup," Taj told Fars News Agency.

Iran will use a training camp in Turkey and play two friendlies there; the team are due to meet Nigeria on March 27 and Costa Rica on March 31 in Antalya as part of a four-nation invitational that was moved from Jordan because of regional conflict.

Taj also welcomed the return of the Iranian women's national team delegation to Iran after their journey from Australia; several members had been offered asylum in Australia following concerns for their safety, with seven accepting and two remaining.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum indicated Mexico would be open to hosting Iran's World Cup group matches against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt, but any venue change requires FIFA approval. FIFA said it was in contact with the Iranian federation and reiterated that it expected all teams to compete according to the schedule announced on December 6, 2025.