Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum says her government has agreed to allow Iran’s national football team to stay in Mexico during the 2026 FIFA World Cup after the United States declined to host the squad for the duration of the tournament. Sheinbaum said FIFA approached Mexico following Washington’s decision not to accommodate Iran’s team in the country throughout the competition, even though Iran is scheduled to play its group matches in the United States. Several outlets report that Sheinbaum describes the arrangement as having “no issue,” following the team’s base being shifted from the US to Mexico for the tournament period.
Iran’s federation head Mehdi Taj says the team’s base will move from Arizona to Tijuana, a border city near San Diego. The move is described as helping the squad avoid visa complications and enabling direct travel to Mexico on Iran Air flights. While the team’s base will be in Mexico, sources agree that Iran’s group games remain in the US, with matches scheduled against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles and a match against Egypt in Seattle.
