FIFA appears to decline Iran’s request to move World Cup fixtures

FIFA have appeared to snub Iran’s request to move their 2026 World Cup fixtures from the United States to Mexico.

Iran’s football federation said that it is holding talks with FIFA about relocating the team’s World Cup matches.

It comes following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, which has responded with attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf.

However, FIFA appeared to have declined Iran’s requests, saying in a statement on Tuesday that it looks forward to all nations competing in line with the official match schedule.

“FIFA is in regular contact with all participating member associations, including Iran, to discuss planning for the World Cup.

“FIFA is looking forward to all participating teams competing as per the match schedule announced on 6 December 2025.”

The US is co-hosting the World Cup, which takes place between 11 June and 19 July, with Canada and Mexico.

All three of Iran’s group-stage fixtures are set to take place in the US, with matches against New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt scheduled to be played in Los Angeles and Seattle.

Last week Trump said: “The Iran national soccer team is welcome to the World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety.”

This led to Iranian football federation president Mehdi Taj to hit out at the president on a social media account belonging to the Iranian embassy in Mexico.

“When Trump has explicitly stated that he cannot ensure the security of the Iranian national team, we will certainly not travel to America,” said Taj.

“We are negotiating with FIFA to hold Iran’s World Cup matches in Mexico.”

With the ongoing conflict showing no signs of easing and Iran’s request to move their World Cup matches to Mexico seemingly rejected, it is becoming increasingly unlikely that the team will feature in the tournament.

What will happen if Iran refuse to compete at the World Cup?

With all the uncertainty around Iran’s participation, what would actually happen if they refused to compete at the tournament?

If Iran refused to play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, they could face fines, lose prize money, and potentially be banned from future competitions, as FIFA has punished withdrawals in the past, however they would probably be more lenient if Iran feel it is unsafe for their players and staff members.

The governing body would almost certainly replace them with another qualified Asian team to keep the tournament on schedule.

Similar situations have occurred before, most notably when the Yugoslavia national football team was banned and replaced, and when Myanmar national football team withdrew and faced penalties. While the tournament itself would go ahead as planned, Iran’s absence would be a rare and politically significant moment in World Cup history

When have matches previously been moved?

Relocating Iran’s matches to Mexico would not be without precedent, as fixtures have previously been moved due to safety concerns and geopolitical tensions.

In recent years, the Belarus national football team have staged their home games in Hungary following their support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including a World Cup qualifier against the Scotland national football team at ZTE Arena in Zalaegerszeg.

Similar compromises are common in cricket, where longstanding political tensions mean India national cricket team and Pakistan national cricket team only meet at neutral venues during ICC tournaments.

India, for instance, declined to travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy, while Pakistan played their matches in the recent T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka.

GN