Iran has issued an update on basing its national team in the Mexican border city of Tijuana during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saying that FIFA approved a request to relocate the squad’s training camp from Arizona.
Iranian football federation officials confirmed the move on Saturday, May 23, just weeks ahead of the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as tensions surrounding the ongoing Iran conflict continue to spill into international sport.
“We will be based in the Tijuana camp, which is near the Pacific Ocean and on the border between Mexico and the United States,” Iran Football Federation president Mehdi Taj said in a video statement published Saturday on the federation’s Telegram channel.
Iran to move World Cup base to Mexico from Arizona
Taj said the relocation would help Iran avoid visa complications and ease logistical concerns linked to travel into the United States following months of regional instability and heightened scrutiny involving Iranian nationals.
“The total distance between us and the venue of our games in Los Angeles is 55 minutes by flight,” he said, adding that Tijuana was geographically closer to Iran’s scheduled matches than the team’s previously planned base in Arizona.
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Iran is scheduled to open its Group G campaign in Los Angeles against New Zealand on June 15 before facing Belgium on June 21. The team will then travel to Seattle to play Egypt on June 26.
The Iranian federation had previously expressed concern over visa processing delays and security arrangements as relations between Washington and Tehran deteriorated following the escalation of the 2026 U.S.-Iran conflict.
Iranian officials earlier confirmed that several players and staff members had not yet received U.S. visas despite the World Cup being less than a month away. Applications were reportedly processed while the squad trained in Türkiye before the tournament.
Taj said Iran had sought guarantees from FIFA regarding visas, security, and treatment of the Iranian delegation during the tournament. FIFA has not publicly commented on the reported approval.
The development comes after weeks of speculation over whether Iran could even participate in the World Cup amid calls from some political figures in the United States to remove the country from the tournament entirely.
Proposal for replacement
Last month, reports emerged that senior U.S. envoy Paolo Zampolli had floated a proposal to replace Iran with Italy at the World Cup.
According to the Financial Times, Zampolli suggested the idea to President Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino despite Iran already qualifying through the Asian Football Confederation and Italy failing to qualify from Europe.
FIFA, however, quickly signaled that Iran was expected to participate, with Infantino previously stating that “the Iranian team is coming, for sure.”
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Iran is expected to finalize its 26-man World Cup squad by FIFA’s June 1 deadline after a planned friendly match against Gambia on May 29.
The uncertainty surrounding Iran’s World Cup participation comes amid diplomatic tensions between Washington and Tehran.
On Saturday, President Trump told CBS News that the United States and Iran were “getting a lot closer” to finalizing a possible agreement aimed at ending the current conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
The latest proposal reportedly includes the unfreezing of certain Iranian assets held abroad and a framework for continued negotiations.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also hinted that “there might be some news a little later today” regarding ongoing talks.
At the same time, however, divisions remain inside Washington over whether diplomacy should continue.
Republican senators Lindsey Graham and Roger Wicker have criticized reports of a possible deal with Iran, warning that any ceasefire arrangement could strengthen Tehran’s regional influence.
