In an unexpected turn of events, Mexico has agreed to host Iran’s national football team for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, following reports that the United States declined to accommodate the team during the tournament. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that this arrangement came after FIFA reached out to Mexico when US authorities decided against allowing the Iranian squad to stay in the country overnight. Despite this decision, Iran’s matches in the group stage are still scheduled to take place in the United States.
The Iranian football team’s new training base will be in Tijuana, Mexico, conveniently located near the US border and close to San Diego, California. FIFA has officially confirmed this relocation while unveiling the list of team base camps for the competition. Originally, Iran had intended to set up its World Cup headquarters in Tucson, Arizona. However, escalating tensions in the Middle East and complications related to US sanctions on Iran reportedly thwarted these plans.
President Sheinbaum expressed that Mexico is more than willing to accommodate the Iranian team and is actively working with FIFA to iron out the logistics before the tournament kicks off. This shift to Tijuana not only provides a practical solution but also aligns with the need to bypass potential visa issues, according to Iran Football Federation president Mehdi Taj. He noted that the team will be able to travel directly to Mexico using Iran Air services.
While the US State Department has reiterated that Iran is welcome to participate in the World Cup, it has refrained from commenting on the specifics of why the Iranian team will not be based in the US during the event. The FIFA World Cup is set to be a collaborative hosting effort among the United States, Mexico, and Canada, spanning from June 11 to July 19.