Iran’s World Cup training base has been moved from the United States to Mexico with FIFA’s approval, the chairman of Iranian football’s governing body said on Saturday.
FIFA has not yet confirmed the move, which was announced by Mehdi Taj, president of the Iranian Football Federation.
“All team base camps for the countries participating in the World Cup must be approved by FIFA,” Taj said in a statement.
“Fortunately, after the requests we made and the meetings we held with FIFA and World Cup officials in Istanbul, as well as the webinar meeting we had yesterday in Tehran with the respected FIFA Secretary General, our request to change the base of the team from the United States to Mexico was approved.”
The Iranian team was scheduled to hold its base camp, used for training before and after matches, at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona, but the war in the Middle East and related security concerns had created uncertainty over Iran’s World Cup activities.
“We will be located in the Tijuana camp, near the Pacific Ocean and on the border between Mexico and the United States,” Taj said in a video on the federation’s Telegram social media account, noting that the move could resolve potential visa issues if the team enters the U.S. through Mexico.
Iranian officials said earlier this month that their players and staff had not yet received U.S. visas.
The World Cup, which is co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico, runs from June 11 to July 19.
As part of Group G, Iran will play its first two matches in Los Angeles, against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21, with a match against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
Published on May 24, 2026
