Mexico has agreed to host Iran’s national team during the 2026 World Cup after the United States reportedly refused to allow the squad to stay in the country between matches.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Fifa approached her government after US authorities made it clear they did not want Iran’s team based on American soil throughout the tournament.
“We have no reason to deny them the possibility of staying in Mexico,” Sheinbaum said. “The United States does not want the Iranian team to stay overnight, but they are going to play three matches there. So they asked us if they could stay in Mexico, and we said yes.”
Later, FIFA confirmed that Iran’s training base for the tournament will be located at Centro Xoloitzcuintle in Tijuana.
Iran had originally been assigned a base camp in Tucson, Arizona, with all three group-stage matches scheduled in the United States. However, growing tensions in the Middle East and related security concerns created uncertainty around the arrangement and even questions over Iran’s participation in the tournament.
The 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. Iran are set to face New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June, Belgium in Los Angeles on 21 June and Egypt in Seattle on 26 June.
The Iranian squad is currently training in Antalya, Turkey, ahead of the competition.
Iran’s sports minister Ahmad Donyamali also said Fifa had assured the country that players and staff would receive the visas needed to enter the United States.
“The Fifa president promised us that all our players would receive visas,” Donyamali said. “There is no reason why our players should not receive visas.”
The Iranian Football Federation had reportedly submitted a list of conditions for participation, including visa access for players, coaches and officials who completed military service linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously stated that Iran’s players would be welcomed for the tournament, although individuals connected to the IRGC could still face restrictions when applying for entry.
The issue already caused problems earlier this year when several Iranian football officials, including federation president Mehdi Taj, were reportedly denied entry into Canada ahead of Fifa’s annual congress in Vancouver due to alleged links to the IRGC.
Some Iranian players recently visited the US embassy in Ankara to submit their visa applications for the World Cup.