Mehdi Taj, the president of the Iranian Football Federation, announced on Saturday that the national team’s training base for the 2026 World Cup has been relocated from the United States to Mexico, following official approval from FIFA.
Security Concerns Prompt Arizona Exit
Team Melli had originally been scheduled to host its training camp in Tucson, Arizona. However, a relocation had been heavily considered for weeks due to ongoing uncertainty surrounding the war in the Middle East and heightened security concerns.
The federation confirmed that the team will now be based in Tijuana, Mexico, located just south of San Diego, California.
Resolving Visa Issues and Logistics
According to the Iranian Federation, shifting the base camp to Mexico will effectively resolve potential visa complications, as the delegation will now enter the United States directly through the Mexican border.
Taj also noted that logistics could be simplified further, stating that the team “may even be able to travel to and from Mexico using Iran Air flights.”
Group G Schedule and World Cup History
Iran is set to compete in Group G, playing its opening matches in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand on June 15, and Belgium six days later. They will then wrap up the group stage against Egypt on June 26 in Seattle, Washington.
This tournament marks Iran’s fourth consecutive World Cup appearance and its seventh overall. Historically, Team Melli has never advanced past the first round of the competition.
