Iran Moves World Cup Base Camp to Mexico as U.S.-Iran War Strains Relations

War disrupts World Cup plans

Iran had originally selected the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona, as its training base for the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. That plan collapsed after the U.S. and Israel launched military strikes on Iran on February 28, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and sparking a conflict that made the team’s presence on American soil diplomatically fraught.

Our request to change the team’s base from the United States to Mexico was approved.

President of the Iran Football Federation Mehdi Taj announced the relocation on Saturday following meetings with FIFA and World Cup officials in Istanbul and a video conference with FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström. The decision became official on Monday when FIFA published the final list of team base camps, listing Iran’s new home as the Centro Xoloitzcuintle in Tijuana.

Visa and travel complications

U.S. sanctions and the absence of diplomatic relations since 1980 have complicated the issuance of visas. Earlier this month, Iranian officials reported that players and staff had still not received U.S. visas. Moving the camp to Tijuana, located directly across the border from San Diego, eases the travel burden.

The visa problem will be largely resolved. The flight to Los Angeles for our two matches takes only 55 minutes, which is very short compared to Tucson.

Under the new arrangement, the team can fly directly into Mexico on Iran Air and commute to its U.S. matches without requiring overnight stays on American soil.

Mexico steps in

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Monday that the U.S. had signaled it did not want the Iranian team based on its territory.

The United States doesn’t want the Iranian national team to stay overnight in the United States. They asked us, ‘Can they stay in Mexico?’ We said, ‘Yes, no problem. We have no issue with that.’

She emphasized that her government had no reason to refuse and was finalizing details with FIFA. The U.S. State Department did not directly address Sheinbaum’s remarks but reiterated that President Donald Trump had made clear the Iranian team is welcome to participate in the tournament.

Match schedule unchanged

Despite the base‑camp shift, Iran’s group‑stage matches remain in the United States. The team will face New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, before traveling to Seattle to play Egypt on June 26. The tournament runs from June 11 through July 19.

Tensions linger

Iran’s participation had been uncertain since the war began. A fragile ceasefire currently holds, but the military conflict between Iran, the U.S., and Israel continues to shadow the World Cup. For now, the base‑camp compromise allows Iran to compete while avoiding the most acute political frictions.