WANA (May 23) – Iran’s Football Federation has confirmed that the national team’s base camp for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be relocated from the United States to Mexico following negotiations with FIFA.

 

Federation president Mehdi Taj said Iran will now be based in Tijuana, a Mexican city near the U.S. border and the Pacific coast, instead of the previously planned camp in Arizona.

 

According to Taj, preparations for the new training base have already been completed and the federation is in the final stages of signing the contract.

 

He explained that the decision came after several meetings with FIFA officials in recent weeks, during which the Iranian federation raised concerns over visa-related difficulties facing the team and staff.

 

“Our request to change the location of the national team’s camp due to visa complications was accepted by FIFA,” Taj said.

 

The federation president added that the Tijuana complex includes all the facilities required for the team’s preparation, including training pitches, a gym, swimming pool, dedicated restaurant, and a modern stadium.

 

He also pointed to the logistical advantages of the new location. Tijuana is only a 55-minute flight from Los Angeles, where two of Iran’s group-stage matches will be played, making travel significantly easier compared to the previous base in Arizona. The journey by bus takes around three hours and twenty minutes.

 

Taj noted that travel arrangements for Iran’s match against Egypt in Seattle would remain largely unchanged, with a flight time of roughly three hours, similar to the previous plan from Arizona.

 

He said the move to Mexico would help ease many of the visa-related concerns and even raised the possibility of Iran Air operating direct flights to Mexico for the tournament.

 

The relocation is seen as a major step toward reducing logistical and political complications ahead of the World Cup. Iran will now prepare for the tournament on Mexican soil and travel to the United States only for matches — a strategy expected to provide greater stability and reduce the risk of potential disruptions.

Iran is scheduled to play all three of its group-stage matches in the United States during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.