Iran say Fifa has approved World Cup base camp switch from US to Mexico

The president of the Iranian football federation said Saturday the team’s World Cup training base has been moved to Mexico from the United States after getting approval from Fifa.

Mehdi Taj, president of the Iran Football Federation, announced the decision Saturday in a statement issued by the federation’s media relations official. FIFA has not confirmed the move.

Iran had been scheduled to train in Tucson, Arizona, but a move has been a possibility because of uncertainty surrounding the war in the Middle East and security concerns. Officials at Tucson’s Kino Sports Complex had no comment when asked by the Associated Press.

The federation says the team will now be based in Tijuana, Mexico, just south of San Diego. This year’s World Cup runs from 11 June to 19 July and is being co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.

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

Iran play Group G games in Los Angeles against New Zealand on 15 June and Belgium on 21 June, then faces Egypt on 26 June 26 in Seattle. They are appearing in their fourth straight World Cup and seventh overall, though they have never advanced past the first round.

The federation said moving the base camp will resolve potential visa issues since the team will enter the US through Mexico. Taj said that the team “may even be able to travel to and from Mexico using Iran Air flights”.

It was reported in March, after the US and Israel began joint airstrikes on Iran, that Fifa was unwilling to switch the team’s World Cup matches to Mexico. Donald Trump said at that time that the “life and safety” of Iran’s players could be at risk if they travel to the US.

At last month’s Fifa congress in Vancouver, president Gianni Infantino said Iran would play their World Cup games in the US as scheduled.

“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,” he said then. “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.”