• Iran will boycott matches in the United States during the World Cup.
• The country is negotiating with FIFA to relocate its games to Mexico.
• President Donald Trump's comments have raised safety concerns for Iranian players.

The Iranian national football team will "boycott the United States but not the World Cup," according to the president of the Iranian football federation, Mehdi Taj. Despite Iran being scheduled to play its group matches in the U.S., officials are negotiating with FIFA to possibly relocate games to Mexico due to ongoing conflicts involving the U.S. and Iran, which have raised safety concerns for players. This assurance was conveyed in a video released by the Fars news agency on March 18, where Taj emphasized that preparations for the World Cup would continue nevertheless, according to Al Jazeera.

Iran's potential matches in the United States, scheduled against teams like New Zealand and Belgium, have prompted discussions with FIFA about moving them south of the border following concerns raised by President Donald Trump regarding player safety. In response, Iranian officials have insisted that they would still like to compete and that "no one can exclude Iran's national team from the World Cup," reflecting their determination to participate despite geopolitical tensions, as reported by Le Monde and South China Morning Post.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has expressed her country's readiness to host Iran's matches if FIFA approves the venue change, highlighting Mexico's diplomatic stance with all nations. She stated on Tuesday, "Yes. Mexico maintains diplomatic relations with every country in the world, therefore we will wait to see what FIFA decides," according to both Reuters and Dawn.

Concerns about player safety have been heightened since tensions escalated in the region, especially after Trump indicated that traveling to the U.S. could pose risks for the Iranian team. The response from Iran has been robust, as they continue to advocate for human rights and safety in the context of the World Cup. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has asserted that the organization remains committed to ensuring all participating teams can safely compete as initially scheduled, emphasizing the power of football to unite, according to South China Morning Post.