WANA (May 26) – FIFA has confirmed that the Iranian national football team will relocate its World Cup training camp from Arizona, USA, to the Mexican border city of Tijuana.

 

On Monday evening, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that her government has approved hosting Iran’s national team for the duration of the tournament.

 

According to Sheinbaum, FIFA initiated negotiations with Mexico after the United States expressed reluctance to host the Iranian team for the entirety of the tournament—despite Iran being scheduled to play all three of its group-stage matches on American soil.

 

“We see no reason to deny them the opportunity to stay in Mexico,” Sheinbaum stated during her daily press conference.

 

Political Friction and Team Logistics

The decision marks the latest hurdle in Iran’s turbulent path to the World Cup. Tensions peak following past rhetorical conflicts where U.S. President Donald Trump issued severe threats against the Iranian national team amid heightened geopolitical hostilities.

 

In response to ongoing challenges, the president of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) presented a list of 10 conditions to FIFA to secure Iran’s participation.

 

FIFA officials reportedly pledged to fulfill these demands, one of which addressed the team’s training camp location—a logistical knot now resolved by the move to Mexico.

 

The White House and the U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters.

 

Visa Workarounds and Travel Route

On Saturday, FFIRI President Mehdi Taj confirmed the official relocation from Arizona to Tijuana. Taj noted that the move is designed to bypass complex visa issues and streamline travel logistics, enabling Iran’s national team to fly directly to Mexico via the national carrier, Iran Air.

 

Iran will play its first two Group G matches in Los Angeles, facing New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21, before wrapping up the group stage against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.