Iran Moves World Cup Base to Mexico After U.S. Declines to Host Team

On the visa front, the federation was candid that it could not guarantee all players and staff would receive U.S. entry visas amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington . Mehdi Taj, president of the FFIRI, described “problems encountered in obtaining visas” as the primary driver behind the relocation request . By shifting the base to Mexico, the team largely resolves this issue; as Taj stated, “the visa problem will be largely resolved” . Players and officials are expected to cross the border only for match days using tournament-specific documentation, drastically limiting the number of days anyone needs to spend on U.S. soil .

Safety was the second critical variable. Iran had originally been assigned to Tucson, but the federation cited both visa-related logistics and broader security concerns linked to instability in the Middle East . Tijuana offers a dedicated training camp in a city with close proximity to U.S. venues, allowing the squad to remain in a controlled environment without the complications of a prolonged U.S. stay.

How the Tijuana arrangement works

The mechanics of the plan are straightforward but diplomatically delicate. FIFA approved the relocation of Iran’s training base — and only the training base. The matches themselves remain fixed in the United States . The 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, runs from June 11 to July 19, and Iran is scheduled to play all three of its group-stage games in American stadiums .

The team will be based in a FIFA-approved camp in Tijuana, described by Taj as “near the Pacific Ocean and on the border between Mexico and the United States” . Between matches, the squad will train and rest there. On game days, they will make the short trip across the border — by bus or air — to the designated U.S. venue and return to Mexico immediately after . This shuttle model keeps Iran’s delegation largely outside American jurisdiction except during the narrow windows required for competition, satisfying FIFA’s rule that all World Cup matches be hosted in the United States while accommodating the political realities that made basing in Arizona untenable .

A FIFA-brokered compromise, not a political statement

Mexico’s role is framed as a sporting accommodation, not a geopolitical countermove. Sheinbaum was careful to keep the decision grounded in football logistics. “We have no reason to deny them the possibility of staying in Mexico,” she told reporters, emphasizing that the request came through FIFA, not through direct bilateral channels between Tehran and Mexico City .

The arrangement does not alter the tournament’s official structure. FIFA did not move any of Iran’s matches to Mexican soil; it simply approved a change of base camp, as it has for other national teams in past tournaments when circumstances warranted. For Iran, however, the shift is significant. It eliminates a cloud of visa uncertainty, reduces exposure to potential security incidents, and removes the awkwardness of a team effectively unwanted by its host nation.

In the end, the 2026 World Cup will still see Team Melli play in American stadiums. It just won’t see them sleep in American beds.