The president of the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran has announced that FIFA has approved Iran’s request to move their 2026 FIFA World Cup training base from the United States to Mexico ahead of the tournament.
According to federation president Mehdi Taj, Iran will now establish their base camp in the Mexican border city of Tijuana instead of Tucson, which had initially been assigned to the team.
The decision comes amid growing uncertainty surrounding Iran’s participation logistics due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East and related security concerns ahead of the tournament hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Iran are scheduled to face New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21 in Los Angeles before completing their group-stage campaign against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
Speaking about the development, Taj explained that discussions had taken place directly with FIFA officials before the request was approved.
“All team base camps for the countries participating in the World Cup must be approved by FIFA,” Taj said.
“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 Mattias Grafstrom, our request to change the team’s base from the United States to Mexico was approved.”
He added that Tijuana would provide Iran with more convenient travel arrangements for their fixtures in the United States.
“We will be based in the Tijuana camp, which is near the Pacific Ocean and on the border between Mexico and the United States,” he said.
“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.”
Iran are currently holding their preparations in Antalya as they continue building towards the tournament.
The issue of visas has also become a major talking point ahead of the World Cup. Earlier this month, Taj confirmed that several Iranian players were still waiting to receive visas to enter the United States for the competition.
The Iranian federation has reportedly submitted a list of conditions to FIFA regarding participation requirements, including visa access for players, coaches and officials who previously completed military service linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Iran’s players would be welcomed at the tournament, although individuals with connections to the IRGC could face restrictions.
Taj himself was reportedly denied entry into Canada ahead of FIFA’s annual congress in Vancouver earlier this year after Canadian authorities cited alleged links to the IRGC.
Several members of Iran’s national team have also reportedly travelled to the US embassy in Ankara to complete visa applications ahead of the tournament.
