Iran says WC camp moved from U.S to Mexico

May 23, 2026 No Comments

Iran says World Cup base camp moved from U.S. to MexicoAssociated PressMultiple AuthorsMay 23, 2026, 03:59 PM ET

PHOENIX — The president of the governing body of Iranian soccer mentioned Saturday the nation’s World Cup training base has been moved to Mexico from the United States after getting approval from FIFA.

Mehdi Taj, president of the Iran Football Federation, declared the decision Saturday in a statement issued by the federation’s media relations official. FIFA has not verified the move.

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Iran had been scheduled to train in Tucson, but a move has been a possibility because of uncertainty surrounding the war in the Middle East and security concerns. Officials at Tucson’s Kino Sports Complex had no comment.

The federation says the team will now be based in Tijuana, Mexico, just south of San Diego. This year’s World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 and will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Iran’s World Cup base camp was scheduled to be in Tucson, Arizona. Orhan Cicek/Anadolu via Getty Images”All team base camps for the countries participating in the World Cup must be approved FIFA,” Taj mentioned in his statement. “Fortunately, following the requests we submitted and the meetings we held with FIFA and World Cup officials in Istanbul, as well as the webinar meeting we had yesterday in the Tehran with the respected FIFA secretary general, our request to change the team’s base from the United States to Mexico was approved.”Iran plays Group G games in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium six days later, then faces Egypt on June 26 in Seattle.

Team Melli is appearing in its fourth straight World Cup and seventh overall. It has never advanced past the first round.

Iran’s federation mentioned moving the base camp will resolve potential visa issues since the team will enter the U.S. through Mexico. The president mentioned that the team “may even be able to travel to and from Mexico using Iran Air flights.”

Teams use base camps for training ahead of and after matches.