Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on May 26 that her government has agreed to let Iran's national football team establish a training base in Mexico during the 2026 World Cup, following the United States' refusal to accommodate the team for overnight stays. According to Sheinbaum, FIFA contacted Mexico after the US notified it did not want the Iranian team staying in the US overnight, even though Iran will play all its group-stage matches in America.
Specifically, Iran's team will still play their group-stage matches in the US, but their training base has been moved to Tijuana, a border city in northern Mexico just south of San Diego, California. The move was recently announced by Iran's Football Federation and confirmed by FIFA. Sheinbaum told reporters: “The US did not want the Iran team to stay overnight in the US.” She said FIFA representatives asked: “Can they stay in Mexico overnight?” and she replied: “Yes, no problem. We have no issue with that.”
The relocation of the training base comes amid the war in Iran, launched by the US and Israel on February 28. Before the outbreak of the war, the Iranian team was expected to set up their base in Tucson, Arizona. However, with rising tensions, the team shifted its base to Tijuana. Iran's Federation said it received approval from FIFA, and the organization formalized the information on May 26 when it released the list of 48 team training base locations.
Teams use training bases to prepare before and after matches. This year's World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19, co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico. The possibility of a base relocation had been rumored for months, tied to instability in the Middle East and security concerns. US sanctions against Iran may also have complicated the team's stay in America.
The US State Department issued a statement on May 26 saying President Donald Trump made clear that Iran's team is welcome to participate in the tournament. The statement did not mention where the team could stay overnight or comment on Sheinbaum's remarks. Sheinbaum said the Mexican government is working with FIFA to resolve all details before the tournament.
Earlier, on May 24, Iran's Football Federation President Mehdi Taj said the team's base would be moved from Arizona to Tijuana. Taj added the change would help avoid visa-related complications and allow the team to fly directly to Mexico using Iran Air flights.
