The president of Iran's soccer federation said his country would "boycott the United States, but not the World Cup" as it attempts to move its group stage matches south of the border to Mexico.
Mehdi Taj drew the distinction while speaking to Iran's Fars news agency on Wednesday in response to President Donald Trump's warning that Iran should skip the World Cup "for their own life and safety."
Taj affirmed Iran intends to compete despite the war in the Middle East, which broke out in February when
the U.S. and Israel targeted Iran with airstrikes that killed the longtime supreme leader Ali Khameini.
The Iranians are attempting to negotiate with FIFA for the relocation of three Group G fixtures that are earmarked for the West Coast. They are slated to play against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21 in Inglewood, Calif., then face Egypt on June 26 in Seattle.
The schedule puts Iran and the USMNT on a potential collision course. If the U.S. finishes second in Group D and Iran is the Group G runner-up, the teams would clash in a Round of 32 match in Arlington, Texas, on July 3.
Mexico is willing to host Iran's matches, President Claudia Sheinbaum told reporters this week.
"Yes. Mexico maintains diplomatic relations with every country in the world. Therefore, we will wait to see what FIFA decides," Sheinbaum said.
The 48-team World Cup is being staged in 11 American cities, three in Mexico and two in Canada. It runs from June 11 through the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
The USMNT faces Paraguay in Inglewood on June 12, opposes Australia in Seattle on June 19 and returns to Inglewood on June 25 to take on a European qualifier that is still to be determined.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he wants the tournament to proceed "as scheduled" following a FIFA council meeting Thursday.
"FIFA can't solve geopolitical conflicts, but we are committed to using the power of football and the FIFA World Cup to build bridges and promote peace as our thoughts are with those who are suffering as a consequence of the ongoing wars," Infantino said.
"FIFA is looking forward to all teams participating at the FIFA World Cup to compete in a spirit of fair play and mutual respect."
Ranked No. 20 in the world, the Iranians qualified for the World Cup for the fourth consecutive time last March as one of the top sides in the Asian Football Confederation. They were eliminated from the group stage in 2022 with a 1-0 loss to the U.S. in Doha, Qatar.
Iranian athletes and coaches are exempt from the travel ban that Trump imposed against their country last June.
U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), the congressional soccer caucus co-chair, told Front Office Sports that the Iranians should not feel compelled to steer clear of the U.S.
"This is the World Cup, and the teams should feel safe playing the games in the country where they're taking place," Larsen, whose district in Washington state is north of Seattle, said on Wednesday. "The President should not be fomenting concerns about Iran playing in the United States."
--Field Level Media
