Iran’s soccer federation says it is in discussions about potentially staging the national team’s World Cup games outside the United States.
The World Cup is designed to unite countries through competition, but international disputes can spill into the tournament and heighten tensions.
That dynamic is playing out for Iran and the US as the competition approaches, with the event set to begin in the US in less than three months.
Iran’s place at the tournament was thrown into uncertainty after the US carried out joint air strikes with Israel toward the end of February.
Last week, Trump weighed in online, arguing it would not be “appropriate” for Iran’s team to take part.
In a Truth Social message, he 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.
His remarks drew criticism on other platforms, and Iran’s national team later issued its own response.
While it remains unclear whether the squad believes it faces direct danger by competing, the statement challenged the idea that the host nation could not guarantee safety for all participants.
Writing on Instagram, the team’s statement read: “The World Cup is a historic and international event and its governing body is FIFA – not any individual, country.
“Iran’s national team, with strength and a series of decisive victories achieved by the brave sons of Iran, was among the first teams to qualify for this major tournament.
“Certainly, no one can exclude Iran’s national team from the World Cup; the only country that could be excluded is one that merely carries the title of ‘host’ yet lacks the ability to provide security for the teams participating in this global event.”
The competition is scheduled to start on June 11 across the US, Canada and Mexico. Iran is currently slated to play two group-stage matches in Los Angeles and another in Seattle.
Even with the team publicly insisting it expects to participate, Iranian football federation president Mehdi Taj said the stated inability to ensure security is enough to justify relocating their fixtures from the US.
In a post on Monday, he said: “When Trump has explicitly stated that he cannot ensure the security of the Iranian national team, we will certainly not travel to America.We are currently negotiating with FIFA to hold Iran’s matches in the World Cup in Mexico.”
Beyond sport, other countries are also starting to feel knock-on effects from the broader conflict, with oil prices expected to climb in multiple regions.
🔹مهدی تاج رئیس فدراسیون فوتبال ایران:
وقتی ترامپ صراحتأ اعلام کرده است که نمیتواند امنیت تیم ملی ایران را تأمین کند، قطعا به آمریکا سفر نمیکنیم/در حال مذاکره با فیفا هستیم تا مسابقات ایران در جام جهانی، در کشور مکزیک برگزار شود— Embajada de Irán en México (@IraninMexico) March 16, 2026
This follows Iran’s decision to block the Strait of Hormuz, a nearby waterway that carries roughly a fifth of the world’s oil flow. As a result, more than 1,000 cargo vessels—primarily oil and gas tankers—have reportedly been prevented from transiting.
The move appears to have angered Trump, who has urged NATO allies to take a more active role in the situation and assist the US with security in the area.
On March 15, Trump said NATO could face a “very bad future” if there was “no response” or a “negative response” to his requests.