Mehdi Taj has clarified that while the national team will boycott playing on U.S. soil following recent military strikes, they intend to participate in the 2026 World Cup by moving their fixtures to Mexico.
Iran soccer president Mehdi Taj, president of the Iran soccer federation, announced that the national team is currently training in Türkiye despite ongoing political tension.
Following air strikes and the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Taj clarified the federation’s stance on the upcoming tournament.
“We will boycott America, but we will not boycott the World Cup,” Taj stated, as officials seek to move scheduled matches from California to Mexico.
FIFA has resisted these requests, insisting that the tournament “go ahead as scheduled” per the December 6, 2025, fixtures.
While Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, expressed a willingness to host the Iranian side, FIFA maintains that all teams must compete in their designated venues.
With President Donald Trump labeling Iran’s presence as potentially inappropriate for safety, the situation remains a high-stakes “game of brinksmanship.”