Mexico is set to accommodate Iran’s national football team during the upcoming FIFA World Cup, following reports that the United States declined to host the team throughout the competition. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that FIFA had requested Mexico’s assistance after US authorities refused to allow the Iranian team to stay overnight in the country. Despite this, Iran’s group-stage matches are still scheduled to take place in the United States.
The Iranian team’s training base has now been relocated to Tijuana, Mexico, a city near the US border and close to San Diego, California. FIFA confirmed this adjustment when they published the list of team base camp locations for the tournament. Initially, Iran had planned to set up its World Cup base in Tucson, Arizona, but escalating tensions in the Middle East and US sanctions on Iran reportedly made these plans untenable.
President Sheinbaum expressed that Mexico has no objections to hosting the Iranian squad and is presently working with FIFA to iron out the logistical aspects ahead of the tournament. The president of the Iran Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, mentioned that positioning the team in Tijuana would also help circumvent potential visa-related issues. He highlighted that the team could travel to Mexico directly on Iran Air flights.
While the US State Department acknowledged Iran’s participation in the World Cup, it refrained from providing specific reasons for the decision not to host the team within the US during the event. Regardless, the arrangement ensures that Iran can remain part of the tournament without encountering additional complications.
The FIFA World Cup is scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19 and will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.