Overview
- Mexico’s president said FIFA will not move Iran’s group games from Los Angeles and Seattle to Mexico, leaving Iran to either play as scheduled or withdraw.
- Iran’s sports minister had tied participation to relocating U.S.-based matches and said the final call rests with the country’s Council of Ministers.
- If Iran pulls out, FIFA’s Article 6.7 allows it to choose a substitute at its own discretion without a fixed ranking or confederation rule.
- Several outlets report that FIFA is weighing two broad paths, which include selecting another Asian team to keep the AFC quota or staging a short U.S. playoff among eliminated sides reported to include Italy, Norway, Poland and the UAE.
- World Cup rules set a decision window about 30 days before the June 11 kickoff, which pushes a mid-May cutoff and potential fines for late withdrawal, raising travel and planning stakes for teams and fans.