Iran Will Boycott The Us But Not The World Cup, Country’s Football Head Says

Iran will “boycott nan United States” but “not nan World Cup”, nan Iranian shot federation president, Mehdi Taj, said successful a video released by nan Iranian property agency Fars.

Iran are scheduled to play their group matches successful nan US successful this summer’s tournament. “We will beryllium preparing for nan World Cup,” Taj said. “We will boycott nan United States but not nan the World Cup.”

Iran’s shot federation said this week it had opened talks pinch Fifa astir perchance relocating nan team’s matches from nan US to Mexico, though nan world governing assemblage has maintained that nan tournament’s schedule remains unchanged.

Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, said connected Tuesday that her state was prepared to big Iran’s first-round matches if required, owing to nan conflict successful nan Middle East.

Iran’s information astatine nan finals successful nan US, Canada and Mexico has been successful uncertainty since nan US and Israel launched airstrikes connected nan state past month, pinch Donald Trump informing that nan information of Iranian players would beryllium astatine risk if they travelled to nan tournament.

Sheinbaum, asked whether Mexico was unfastened to hosting nan matches, said: “Yes.” She added: “Mexico maintains negotiated relations pinch each state successful nan world, truthful we will hold to spot what Fifa decides.”

Iran are scheduled to look New Zealand and Belgium successful Los Angeles, followed by Egypt successful Seattle. Iran would beryllium owed to meet nan US successful nan past 32 successful ­Dallas if they decorativeness arsenic runners-up successful their respective groups.

A root offered nan position to nan Guardian this week that nan US and Iran appeared to beryllium engaged successful a crippled of brinkmanship, pinch each attempting to create nan conditions to unit a withdrawal they tin blasted connected their opponents, pinch Fifa caught successful nan middle.