Iran has successfully moved its 2026 World Cup training base from the United States to Mexico following approval from football’s world governing body, FIFA, according to the head of the Iranian football federation.

The squad was originally scheduled to be based at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona. However, ongoing geopolitical tensions and the war in the Middle East created massive uncertainty surrounding the team’s travel logistics, player safety, and visa approvals.

Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) President Mehdi Taj announced that the team will now set up camp in the Mexican border city of Tijuana, just south of San Diego.

The Push for Mexico

The decision follows intense negotiations between Iranian officials and FIFA leadership to secure guarantees over visas, security, and the overall treatment of the Iranian delegation.

According to Taj, the request was finalized during high-level discussions in Istanbul and a subsequent virtual meeting.

“All team base camps for the countries participating in the World Cup must be approved by Fifa,” Taj said. “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 on Friday in Tehran with the respected Fifa secretary general [Mattias Grafstrom], our request to change the team’s base from the United States to Mexico was approved.”

Taj added that the new location in Tijuana actually offers a logistical advantage for Team Melli over their initial Arizona destination.

“We will be based in the Tijuana camp, which is near the Pacific Ocean and on the border between Mexico and the United States,” Taj explained. “The total distance between us and the venue of our games in Los Angeles is 55 minutes by flight, which is a lot less compared to Tucson.”

Visa and Political Roadblocks

The relocation serves as a strategic workaround for severe visa complications. Earlier this month, Iranian officials revealed that players and staff had yet to receive US visas, despite the tournament kicking off on June 11.

The FFIRI had previously presented FIFA with a list of 10 conditions for their tournament participation. Crucially, this included demanding entry clearance for players, coaches, and officials who had completed their mandatory Iranian military service with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—a group subject to strict US sanctions and restrictions.

The political friction had already impacted the team’s leadership. Last month, Taj himself was turned away at the Canadian border ahead of the FIFA annual congress in Vancouver, with Canada’s immigration minister confirming his visa was cancelled due to alleged links to the IRGC.

By basing the team in Tijuana, the federation notes that the squad can bypass certain pre-tournament travel bottlenecks, stating they “may even be able to travel to and from Mexico using Iran Air flights.”

World Cup Schedule Unchanged

Despite previous requests from Iran to have their actual match venues moved out of the United States, FIFA has held firm that the games will proceed as scheduled.

Addressing the security concerns at last month’s FIFA congress, President Gianni Infantino double down on Iran’s participation on American soil:

“Let me start at the outset by confirming straight away, for those who maybe want to say something else or write something else, that of course Iran will be participating at the Fifa World Cup 2026,” Infantino said. “And of course, Iran will play in the United States of America. The reason for that is simple, because we have to unite. We have to bring people together.”

Iran resides in Group G and will play their first two group matches in Los Angeles, facing New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21, before traveling to Seattle to play Egypt on June 26.

The squad is currently undergoing pre-tournament training in Antalya, Turkey, where several players recently visited the US embassy in Ankara to submit their visa applications. Iran will play a friendly against Gambia on May 29, just ahead of coach Amir Ghalenoei’s June 1 deadline to name his final 26-man World Cup squad.