Mehdi Taj, president of the Iran Football Federation, said Wednesday that Iran will not boycott the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite ongoing tensions with the United States.

“We boycott the United States, but we will not boycott the World Cup,” Taj said, according to remarks reported by Iran’s Fars news agency.

He made the comments during a reception for Iran’s women’s national team returning from the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia. The team arrived via Turkey, where Taj said the squad will hold a training camp and play two friendly matches.

Taj’s remarks come amid growing uncertainty over Iran’s participation in the 2026 tournament, which will be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Earlier this week, Iran’s embassy in Mexico said Taj is in discussions with FIFA about the possibility of relocating Iran’s matches from the United States to Mexico.

The issue has gained urgency following the outbreak of war involving Iran, the United States and Israel late last month, raising questions about logistics, security and political constraints surrounding Iran’s involvement in the tournament.

FIFA has not publicly commented on any potential changes to match locations involving Iran.