Iran's football federation is "negotiating" with FIFA to relocate the country's first-round matches at the World Cup to Mexico from the United States, citing the conflict in the Middle East, Iran's embassy in Mexico said Monday.

The Asian Football Confederation said on Monday it has not received any notification from Iran that it will withdraw its national soccer team from the World Cup.

Iran says no one can exclude it from the World Cup later this year, in response to President Donald Trump's warning that their "life and safety" would be at risk in the US.

US President Donald Trump warned Iran's football team Thursday their "life and safety" would be at risk if they took part in the upcoming World Cup in North America.

Iran cannot participate in the 2026 World Cup after co-host the United States launched airstrikes against the country alongside Israel, killing its leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sports minister Ahmad Donyamali said on Wednesday.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday that he met with United States President Donald Trump, who told him he welcomed Iran’s participation in the 2026 Soccer World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

Speaking at the International Broadcast Centre in Dallas on Monday, Schirgi was specifically asked about Iran, whose participation in the World Cup is uncertain due to the war waged on the country by Israel and the United States.

From 1930 to 2022, a total of 2,720 goals have been scored in 964 matches across 22 editions of the FIFA World Cup. Yet among those thousands of strikes, some are far more than mere statistics – they are enduring stories etched into football folklore.

The final of the first FIFA World Cup was not just a match—it was a nerve-wracking battle between two neighboring rivals: Uruguay and Argentina. Held at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, on July 30, 1930, that match remains etched in the annals of football history.

"I really don't care. I think Iran is a very badly defeated country. They're running on fumes," Trump told Politico.

Today, the FIFA World Cup is more than a sporting contest. It is emotion, identity and a global celebration that grips billions. Yet the story of its birth is one of doubt, resistance and an unyielding dream that refused to fade.

The city of Guadalajara erupted with cartel violence this past weekend, alongside other parts of Mexico, after an army raid left a notorious drug lord dead.

The head of the US Olympic committee said on Tuesday the 2026 World Cup will be a first "trial run" of the United States' ability to host spectators ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann on Tuesday backed Marc-Andre Ter Stegen in his bid to regain fitness ahead of the 2026 World Cup, after the goalkeeper's latest injury setback.

FIFA chief Gianni Infantino defended his controversial decision to award a peace prize to United States president Donald Trump as he dismissed calls for a World Cup boycott.

Everton winger Jack Grealish is set to miss the rest of the season with a fractured foot that puts his hopes of making the World Cup in severe doubt.

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Monday suggested he supports fans boycotting World Cup matches in the United States this year due to security concerns.

FIFA said in a statement it had received applications from fans in all of its 211 member nations and territories for the tournament staged in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The FIFA World Cup trophy arrived in Bangladesh on Wednesday morning as part of its global tour. The iconic trophy landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka aboard a special flight.

As well as providing extra footballing prowess, having an array of new talents grants the Asian side a degree of versatility in their tactics.