Iran “will boycott the United States”, but “not the World Cup” of football, said this Wednesday the president of the Iranian federation, Mehdi Taj.
According to the program, Iran must play the group stage matches in the United States, but the possibility of moving those matches to Mexico is now being studied.
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“We will prepare for the World Cup. We will boycott the United States, but not the World Cup”Taj said this Wednesday in a video published by the Fars press agency.
The Iranian soccer federation says it has entered into talks with FIFA about the possibility of relocating its matches outside the United States, although the world’s top soccer body has so far maintained that the tournament schedule will not be modified.
Sheinbaum is going to host Iran
The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, said on Tuesday that her country is ready to host the matches of Iran’s first phase if necessary, due to the conflict in the Middle East.
“Mexico maintains diplomatic relations with all countries in the world, therefore we will wait to see what FIFA decides,” the president stated.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino initially claimed that Trump had given assurances that the Iranian team would continue to be welcome.
The official program foresees that Iran will face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, and then Egypt in Seattle, in group G of the World Cup.
However, Trump unleashed a wave of criticism a week ago by declaring that the Iranian team should not travel to the tournament. “for his own life and safety.”
Tehran responded that “No one can exclude the Iranian national team from the World Cup.”
Iran was the second Asian team, after Japan, to qualify for the World Cup, securing its place almost a year ago.
The Iranian team’s training base for the tournament is planned in Tucson, Arizona.
Abolfazl Pasandideh, Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, denounced on Monday “the lack of cooperation from the United States government in issuing visas and providing logistical support” to the Iranian delegation ahead of the tournament.
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