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MEXICO CITY In a move that highlights how geopolitics can disrupt the world’s biggest sporting event, Mexico will now host the Iran national football team during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The sudden shift comes after objections from the United States government forced a last-minute alteration to the squad’s planned training operations in Arizona.
As first reported by the Associated Press, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that her administration had no objection to Iran utilizing the border city of Tijuana as its primary World Cup base camp.
Iran’s soccer federation had originally finalized plans to hold its pre-tournament camp and group-stage preparations in Tucson, Arizona. Under the newly brokered compromise, Team Melli will instead train, eat, and reside in Tijuana (just south of the U.S. and Mexico border) and commute directly into the United States strictly for its scheduled matchdays.
A Cross-Border Logistics Solution
According to the official FIFA World Cup 2026 match schedule, Iran is set to compete in Group G. The team will face New Zealand in Inglewood, California, on June 15, followed by a heavyweight clash against Belgium in Inglewood on June 21, before traveling north to face Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
The eleventh-hour arrangement allows soccer’s global governing body to keep the tournament’s broadcast and match schedules completely intact while pragmatically relocating Iran’s day-to-day team operations outside of U.S. territory. Tijuana was strategically chosen because of its immediate proximity to Southern California, minimizing travel fatigue for the squad ahead of its opening two group-stage fixtures.
Mexico Confirms Tijuana Base For Team Melli
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President Sheinbaum stated that Mexico stepped in to accept the arrangement following direct discussions with FIFA representatives. Iranian football officials have since expressed satisfaction with the swift relocation, confirming that the new Tijuana base meets all high-performance athletic requirements: state-of-the-art training pitches, a dedicated gym, and secure, private dining and accommodation arrangements.
The relocation has already been ratified by soccer’s governing body, which has locked in all final team locations via its official base camp announcement, scattered across the three host nations of the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Diplomatic Friction Spills Onto the Pitch
While the match fixtures remain unchanged, the forced base migration introduces an undeniable layer of diplomatic tension to the tournament’s organization. The United States, Mexico, and Canada are co-hosting the expanded 48-team tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 19.
Despite the political maneuvering behind the scenes, Iran’s sporting focus remains on advancing past Group G opponents Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand. However, the squad’s daily reality will look starkly different than originally planned, defined by a unique cross-border commute every time they step onto the pitch.
Lastly, DR Congo canceled World Cup training camp five days ago due to Ebola outbreak.
