MEXICO CITY — Iran’s 2026 World Cup group matches will remain in the United States, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Friday, adding that FIFA had rejected Tehran’s request to move the games to Mexico. The decision keeps Group G on its original map and appears to close a weekslong venue dispute shaped by security fears and FIFA’s reluctance to rewrite its schedule so close to kickoff, April 10.
At her morning press conference, Sheinbaum said the governing body decided the matches could not be moved from their original venues because the change would create major logistical complications, according to the official transcript of her April 10 briefing.
The schedule still reflects that outcome. FIFA’s fixtures page for Iran continues to list Group G games against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles and the final group match against Egypt in Seattle.
Iran World Cup matches stay on FIFA’s original U.S. schedule
The decision landed after days of uncertainty. As recently as April 7, Reuters reported that Iranian officials were still waiting for FIFA’s answer while pressing for all three group-stage matches to be moved out of the United States.
How the dispute built
The standoff had been building for weeks. Mexico first signaled that it would step in only if FIFA asked, with Sheinbaum saying her country had no problem hosting the games in a March 17 Reuters report. Iran then toughened its position after its Sports Ministry barred national and club teams from traveling to countries it considered hostile, according to Reuters reporting published March 26. By the end of the month, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was already saying the matches would be played where the draw placed them, as Reuters reported from Turkey in a story published March 31.
That timeline shows Friday’s message was less a sudden turn than the latest step in a dispute that had been unfolding since March. Mexico showed willingness, Iran kept pushing for a switch and FIFA ultimately kept the bracket where it was.
For now, the venue question appears settled. The focus shifts back to whether Iran arrives in the United States under the schedule FIFA has kept intact.
