MEXICO CITY, May 25 (Reuters) – Iran’s national soccer team will sleep in Mexico and travel to the U.S. on the days of its three World Cup matches after Washington declined to host the squad for the tournament, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday.
Sheinbaum said FIFA approached her government after U.S. authorities said they did not want Iran staying in the country throughout the June 11-July 19 competition, even though Iran is scheduled to play three Group G matches there.
“We have no reason to deny them the possibility of staying in Mexico,” Sheinbaum told her daily press conference.
Iran is due to face New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21 and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
The White House and the State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
U.S. President Donald Trump said in March that Iran was welcome to participate in the World Cup but that he did not believe it was appropriate for Iran’s team to be in the United States “for their own life and safety.”
Mehdi Taj, head of Iran’s football federation, said on Saturday the team’s base would be moved from Arizona to the Mexican border city of Tijuana during the tournament. FIFA confirmed the move on Monday.
Taj added that the swap would help avoid visa-related complications and allow direct Iran Air flights to Mexico.
Iran’s World Cup plans have been under scrutiny since late February, when the United States joined Israel in attacks on Iran, triggering a war that raised doubts over whether Tehran would send its team to play in one of the host countries.
In March, Taj said Iran was in talks with FIFA about moving its group matches to Mexico on safety grounds, and Sheinbaum said Mexico would be open to hosting them. FIFA kept the schedule unchanged.
The uncertainty fueled wider speculation about Iran’s place at the tournament. In April, Trump’s envoy for global partnerships, Paolo Zampolli, suggested Italy should replace Iran, prompting a dismissive response from Italian officials and FIFA.
Iran qualified for a fourth consecutive World Cup by topping its group in the third round of Asian qualifying last year.
(Reporting by Raul Cortes and Natalia Siniawski; Additional reporting by Kylie Madry; Editing by Iñigo Alexander and Cynthia Osterman)
Comments