Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has confirmed that the country has agreed to host Iran men’s national team in the 2026 World Cup, instead of the United States as earlier scheduled. Sheinbaum said the Mexican government met with FIFA after the US allegedly refused to host the Iran squad.
ALSO READ: FIFA Confirms Iran Will Play World Cup In USA
Iran were originally supposed to play all three group matches at Tucson, Arizona in the US, but ongoing war in the Middle East and related security concerns have created uncertainty around the squad’s World Cup plans.
“We have no reason to deny them the possibility of staying in Mexico,” Sheinbaum stated during her daily press conference on Monday. “The United States does not want the Iranian team to stay overnight, but they are going to play three matches there.
“So they asked us: ‘Can they stay overnight in Mexico?’ And we said: ‘Yes, no problem. We have no problem.”
While the US has not made an official statement on the alleged refusal to host the Iran team, the move to Mexico appears to be a pragmatic solution to a complicated diplomatic situation. Mexico will host the World Cup alongside US and Canada. Iran is scheduled to play New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21 – then Egypt on June 26. The Middle Eastern side are currently preparing for the tournment in Antalya, southern Turkey.
ALSO READ: FIFA has no plan to replace Iran with Italy at 2026 World Cup
According to the Associated Press, Mehdi Taj, the president of the Iranian federation, explained that Iran’s decision to relocate to Mexico was a strategic move to avoid potential for disruptions and the safety of the travelling squad to the US. Moving to Mexico can provide a more controlled environment for Iran, with the new location including ” all training facilities, gym, private restaurant and everything else the team needs.”
