Trending Now - Iran Shifts World Cup Base to Mexico Amid Rising Tensions
WHO:
Al Jazeera - Mehdi Taj, president of Iran’s Football Federation, stated in a video posted on Telegram that the team will be based in Tijuana, Mexico.
AP News - Mehdi Taj, president of the Iran Football Federation, announced the decision in a statement issued by the federation’s media relations official.
Daily Mail Sports - The move was influenced by Trump's threats of more bombing.
AP News - Mehdi Taj, president of the Iran Football Federation
AP News - FIFA, the governing body of international soccer
WHAT:
Al Jazeera - The Iranian national team will avoid visa-related complications by entering the U.S. through Mexico.
Al Jazeera - The total distance from Tijuana to the venue of their games in Los Angeles is 55 minutes by flight.
AP News - The Iranian federation stated that the team "may even be able to travel to and from Mexico using Iran Air flights."
AP News - The federation said Tijuana’s relatively close proximity to Inglewood, a suburb of Los Angeles, will benefit the team.
AP News - The Iranian federation stated that the team "may even be able to travel to and from Mexico using Iran Air flights."
AP News - Iran's national soccer team has moved its World Cup training base from the United States to Mexico.
AP News - The team was originally scheduled to train in Tucson, Arizona.
AP News - The team will now be based in Tijuana, Mexico.
AP News - Iran plays Group G games against New Zealand on June 15, Belgium on June 21, and Egypt on June 26.
WHERE:
AP News - The original training base was in Tucson, Arizona.
AP News - The new training base is in Tijuana, Mexico, just south of San Diego.
AP News - Group G games will be played in Inglewood, California, and Seattle.
WHEN:
Al Jazeera - Iran is due to play Gambia in a friendly on May 29 before naming their final 26-man World Cup squad by FIFA’s June 1 deadline.
AP News - The World Cup is scheduled to run from June 11 to July 19.
AP News - Iran's match against New Zealand is on June 15, against Belgium on June 21, and against Egypt on June 26.
WHY:
Al Jazeera - The switch to Tijuana was made to help avoid visa-related complications following the US-Israel war on Iran.
AP News - The move was made due to uncertainty surrounding the war in the Middle East and security concerns, which were triggered by joint US-Israel strikes in February.
AP News - The move was made due to security concerns amid the ongoing war in the Middle East.
AP News - The federation stated that moving the base camp will resolve potential visa issues since the team will enter the U.S. through Mexico.
HOW:
Al Jazeera - The Iranian federation had asked FIFA for guarantees over visas, security, and the treatment of the Iranian delegation.
AP News - The request to change the team’s base was approved after meetings held in Istanbul and a webinar meeting in Tehran with FIFA's secretary general.
AP News - The change of the team's base was approved after meetings held in Istanbul and a webinar meeting in Tehran with FIFA's secretary general.
AP News - The change of the team's base was approved by FIFA after meetings held in Istanbul and a webinar meeting in Tehran with FIFA's secretary general.
AP News - The new location in Tijuana includes training facilities, a gym, a private restaurant, and other necessary amenities for the team.
(UPDATED May 24, 2026 06:14 UTC)
The Iranian national football team will be based in Tijuana, Mexico, as announced by Mehdi Taj, president of Iran’s Football Federation, in a video on Telegram. This move is aimed at avoiding visa-related complications, allowing the team to enter the U.S. through Mexico, with just a 55-minute flight to their games in Los Angeles. Iran is scheduled to play Gambia in a friendly on May 29, before finalizing their 26-man World Cup squad by FIFA’s June 1 deadline.
--
(UPDATED May 24, 2026 04:17 UTC)
Mehdi Taj, president of the Iran Football Federation, announced that the national team may soon change its base to Tijuana, Mexico, which is conveniently close to Inglewood, a suburb of Los Angeles. The federation noted that the team could even travel to and from Mexico using Iran Air flights, making logistics easier. This decision follows meetings held in Istanbul and a webinar in Tehran with FIFA's secretary general, which led to the approval of the request.
--
(UPDATED May 24, 2026 01:34 UTC)
In a significant development, the Iranian football federation announced that their team may be able to travel to and from Mexico using Iran Air flights, a decision influenced by President Trump's threats of more bombing. This move comes amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding the war in the Middle East and heightened security concerns following joint US-Israel strikes earlier this year. The change of the team's base was approved after discussions held in Istanbul and a webinar meeting in Tehran with FIFA's secretary general.
--
(UPDATED May 23, 2026 23:14 UTC)
Iran's national soccer team has officially shifted its World Cup training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, due to security concerns amid the ongoing war in the Middle East. This move, approved by FIFA after discussions in Istanbul and Tehran, aims to alleviate potential visa issues as the team will enter the U.S. through Mexico. Iran is set to play its Group G matches against New Zealand on June 15, Belgium on June 21, and Egypt on June 26, with games taking place in Inglewood, California, and Seattle.