Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the country would host Iran’s soccer team for the FIFA World Cup, claiming U.S. officials did not want to host Iran’s national team during next month’s tournament amid the tensions between the two countries.
Sheinbaum said Iran’s team would be hosted by Mexico during a news conference on Monday, per Reuters. The Mexican president added that officials from FIFA approached her after U.S. officials said they did not want to host the Iranian team during the roughly monthlong tournament.
“We have no reason to deny them the possibility of staying in Mexico,” Sheinbaum said at her press conference.
Sheinbaum’s comments come days after Iranian team officials said they would move their World Cup training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico. Officials said they had received FIFA’s permission to move their base camp out of the U.S.
Iran is still scheduled to play all three group-stage matches in the U.S., with the first against New Zealand set for June 15 in Inglewood, California. The Middle Eastern country’s other two matches will be played in Inglewood and Seattle. If Iran advances to the knockout round, it would likely play another game somewhere in the U.S.
The U.S. and Iran have had strained relations for decades, but in late February, the strain turned into a war, which has raised concerns that Iran would not be able to play in the U.S. for the World Cup. FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed in April that Iran would still play in the tournament, including in games in the U.S.
FIFA TO BAN PRE-REVOLUTION IRANIAN FLAG FROM WORLD CUP
Ahead of the tournament, FIFA announced that it would ban the pre-Islamic Revolution flag of Iran at World Cup matches. The banned flag has largely been used as a symbol of opposition to the government of Iran, largely by Iranian expatriates abroad.
The FIFA World Cup is set to start on June 11, with the first match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City. The tournament will continue for the next month, with games across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, culminating in the final match on July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.