The President of the Iran Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, has revealed that the country is negotiating with FIFA to move its matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup to Mexico due to security concerns.

According to Taj, the decision follows comments made by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who warned that he could not guarantee the safety of the Iranian national team if they played in the United States.

"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 in ⁠a post on the Iranian embassy in Mexico's X account.

"We are negotiating with FIFA to hold Iran's World Cup matches in Mexico."

Iran had originally been scheduled to play its group-stage matches in U.S. cities such as Los Angeles and Seattle, as part of the tri-nation tournament hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

However, rising geopolitical tensions and security fears have prompted Iranian football authorities to seek an alternative arrangement, with Mexico now being considered as a safer venue for their fixtures.

Taj emphasized that Iran remains willing to participate in the World Cup but would prefer not to play matches on U.S. soil under the current circumstances.

PAH/JE