Iran will boycott the US but not the World Cup, country's football head says

"We will be preparing for the World Cup. We will boycott the United States but not the World Cup. Iran's football federation said this week it had opened talks with Fifa about potentially relocating the team's matches from the US to Mexico, though the global governing body has maintained that the tournament's schedule remains unchanged."

"Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, said on Tuesday that her country was prepared to host Iran's first-round matches if required, owing to the conflict in the Middle East. Mexico maintains diplomatic relations with every country in the world, therefore we will wait to see what Fifa decides."

"A source offered the view to the Guardian this week that the US and Iran appeared to be engaged in a game of brinkmanship, with each attempting to create the conditions to force a withdrawal they can blame on their opponents, with Fifa caught in the middle."

Iran's football federation president confirmed the country will compete in the World Cup while boycotting the United States. The federation has requested FIFA to relocate Iran's group matches from US cities to Mexico due to Middle East tensions following recent US and Israeli airstrikes. Mexico's president offered to host Iran's first-round matches, citing the country's diplomatic relations with all nations. Iran faces New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt in group play, with a potential US matchup in the knockout stage if they advance. FIFA has stated the tournament schedule remains unchanged, though negotiations continue. Observers suggest both the US and Iran may be engaged in strategic positioning to force a withdrawal while blaming the other party.

Read at www.theguardian.com