Iran has this week renewed its request for its national football team's matches at next summer's World Cup to be relocated from the United States to Mexico, reiterating that it will pull out of the tournament should FIFA refuse.
"Our request to FIFA to relocate Iran's games from the US to Mexico is still valid, but we have not yet received a response," Iranian sports minister Ahmad Donyamali told the Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu on Sunday. "If accepted, Iran's participation in the World Cup will be certain. However, FIFA has not yet responded."
Iran's involvement at the World Cup was thrown into doubt over a month ago by the start of the US-Israeli war on the country. While a majority of the 104 matches will take place at stadiums across the US, several fixtures in the early stages of the competition will be played in Mexico and Canada, the tournament's co-hosts.
Iran's withdrawal would directly affect the Belgian national team, with the two teams having been drawn in the same group.
The Red Devils are due to meet Iran in Los Angeles on June 21, for the second matchday of Group G. The Iranian team is also scheduled to play their opening match, six days beforehand, against New Zealand in the same city. Their third and final group stage match would be against Egypt in Seattle.
FIFA rules out venue changes
Asked about whether the Belgian Red Devils were making plans accounting for a potential change in venue or opponent, the Belgian FA (RBFA) pointed The Brussels Times to recent comments made by FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Speaking to AFP while attending Iran's friendly match against Costa Rica in Antalya last week, Infantino insisted that Team Melli would indeed be playing at the World Cup in the US. "The matches will be played where they are supposed to be, according to the draw," he insisted. "I've seen the team, I've spoken to the players and the coach, so everything is fine."
Infantino's sentiment does not appear to be shared by Donald Trump, however. "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," the US president stated in mid-March on his Truth Social platform.
"For us, what matters most are FIFA's rules and regulations," Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, the vice president of the Iranian Football Federation, had told AFP while at last week's match in Turkey. "We will comply with whatever FIFA decides. Every host country has made commitments to FIFA and must honour them," he said.
Could another team take Iran's place at the World Cup?
The Iranian sports minister's latest comments, though, indicate that the country is adamant on avoiding sending their team to the US. In his interview with Anadolu, Donyamali added that the team's World Cup preparations would nevertheless continue for the time being. "As the Minister of Sports, together with the Iranian Football Federation, we will keep the football team ready for the World Cup. However, the final decision will be made by our government," he said.
Mexico's president Claudia Sheinbaum stated last month that the country would be open to hosting Iran's World Cup fixtures. While the Iranian FA previously said that talks were ongoing with FIFA over moving their matches, Gianni Infantino appears to have closed the door to a revised match schedule.
Iran would likely be replaced by the next-best-ranked team from the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) World Cup qualifying round, according to French sports daily L'Équipe. The United Arab Emirates, who lost in the qualifying play-off final to Iraq, would be next in line to take over Iran's spot.
