Decomposing body found in SUV near Iran's World Cup training camp in Tijuana
Police opened a Toyota SUV parked across from the Estadio Caliente and discovered a decomposing body wrapped in a black bag, authorities confirmed on Saturday.
A grisly discovery near the World Cup training base of Iran’s national football team has cast a dark shadow over the tournament’s opening days. On Friday, authorities in Tijuana, Mexico, opened a grey Toyota SUV parked in a supermarket lot directly across from the Estadio Caliente, where the Iranian squad trains daily. Inside the trunk, they found a decomposing body wrapped tightly in black plastic, with clear signs of violence.
After inspecting the vehicle, they found in the trunk a person wrapped in a black bag, with signs of violence.
The vehicle, which carried California licence plates, had been parked in the same spot since Wednesday, according to the prosecutor’s office. The strong odour of decomposition first drew the attention of a police patrol. Forensic specialists in white protective suits worked around the car before removing the corpse. The incident, reported by the French news agency AFP, quickly dominated headlines as journalists gathered near the scene.
- A grey Toyota SUV with California licence plates is parked in a supermarket lot facing Estadio Caliente, Tijuana.
- Police open the trunk and find a decomposing body wrapped in a black bag; the body shows signs of violence.
- Iran continues training at the same facility while authorities investigate the homicide. The team departs later for Los Angeles to prepare for its World Cup debut.
Why Iran trains in dangerous Tijuana
Iran had originally planned to hold its World Cup training camp in Tucson, Arizona. But the team’s entry into the United States was blocked because of the ongoing war between the two countries, forcing them to relocate to the border city of Tijuana, just south of California. This city, notorious for drug cartel violence, recorded more than 1,200 homicides in 2025, according to official Mexican statistics. By comparison, all of Italy saw only 286 murders that year.
The Iranian squad, known as Team Melli, has been staying at a hotel just a one‑minute drive from the training ground. Since its arrival last Sunday, every movement between the hotel and the stadium has been accompanied by a heavy security presence: armed National Guard soldiers in multiple vehicles escort the team bus at all times. On Friday, the convoy left the stadium only minutes after the body was removed. The team’s communication officer did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment on whether the security would be tightened further.
Other security breaches in the tournament’s first days
While the Tijuana incident is the most macabre, it is not the only security lapse during the first week of the expanded 48‑team World Cup. More than 4,000 kilometres to the east, in Florida, England’s national team reported a theft of football equipment during its move from West Palm Beach to the team’s base in Kansas City. Among the stolen items were boots belonging to star players Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Anthony Gordon, along with training balls, tactical boards, and analysis devices. US authorities have already arrested two suspects in connection with that case.
The combination of violent crime, severe thunderstorm threats across North America, a minor earthquake in the Gulf of Mexico, and a politically charged atmosphere has made the start of the 2026 tournament as tense off the pitch as it is on it.
What comes next
Investigators in Tijuana are now examining security camera footage and attempting to identify the victim and trace the movements of the vehicle. There is no evidence linking the Iranian team or its staff to the homicide. The squad is expected to travel to Los Angeles ahead of its Group G opener against Belgium on Monday, a match that will command global attention. For now, the body in the car serves as a grim reminder of the violent underworld that lurks just beyond the stadium fences.
