Iran Move 2026 World Cup Base From US To Mexico Amid Visa Concerns

The president of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, says FIFA has approved the country’s request to switch its World Cup training base from the United States to Mexico.

Iran had originally been assigned to Tucson, Arizona, but Taj said the team will now stay in Tijuana, a Mexican border city close to California.

FIFA has yet to publicly confirm the decision.

The change comes amid growing uncertainty about Iran’s participation in the tournament due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and concerns over travel restrictions.

Iran are due to face New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June, Belgium in the same city on 21 June, before taking on Egypt in Seattle on 26 June.

“All team base camps for the countries participating in the World Cup must be approved by FIFA,” Taj said as quoted by the BBC.

“Fortunately, following the requests we submitted and the meetings we held with FIFA and World Cup officials in Istanbul, as well as the webinar meeting we had on Friday in Tehran with the respected FIFA secretary general [Swede Mattias Grafstrom], our request to change the team’s base from the United States to Mexico was approved.

“We will be based in the Tijuana camp, which is near the Pacific Ocean and on the border between Mexico and the United States.”

Taj said the new location would significantly reduce the squad’s travel time during the group stage.

“The distance for us in the two games that we have in LA will be a 55-minute flight, which is a lot less compared to Tucson,” he said.

Iran are currently training in Antalya, southern Turkey, ahead of the competition, which starts on 11 June.

Earlier this month, Taj revealed that Iranian players were still waiting to receive visas for the tournament.

The Iranian FA has reportedly submitted a list of 10 conditions to FIFA regarding participation, including visa clearance for players, coaches and officials linked to military service with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran’s players would be allowed into the country for the tournament, although people connected to the IRGC could face restrictions.

Taj himself was among several Iranian football officials denied entry into Canada ahead of April’s FIFA congress in Vancouver after Canadian authorities reportedly cancelled his visa over alleged links to the IRGC.

Some members of Iran’s squad travelled to the US embassy in Ankara on Thursday to submit visa applications for the tournament.