In an unexpected turn of events for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, Mexico has stepped in to host Iran’s national football team after the United States declined to accommodate the squad during the tournament. The decision comes despite Iran’s group-stage matches being scheduled to take place in the U.S. This development was confirmed by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum following a request from FIFA, after U.S. authorities reportedly refused to host the Iranian team overnight.
Iran’s training base has now been relocated to Tijuana, Mexico, a city strategically positioned near the U.S. border and close to San Diego, California. This change was officially confirmed by FIFA when they released the updated list of team base camp locations for the event. Initially, Iran had planned to set up its World Cup operations in Tucson, Arizona, but regional conflicts and issues related to U.S. sanctions on Iran complicated the original arrangements.
President Sheinbaum expressed that Mexico has no reservations about accommodating the Iranian team and is actively working with FIFA to iron out the logistics. Meanwhile, Mehdi Taj, president of the Iran Football Federation, highlighted that this move to Tijuana would help the team avoid potential visa-related challenges. He noted that the team can now travel directly to Mexico via Iran Air flights.
While the U.S. State Department assured that Iran is welcome to participate in the World Cup, it did not elaborate on the reasons behind the decision not to host the team on U.S. soil during the event. This development is part of the broader coordination for the FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
