Mexico Hosts Iran World Cup Base in Tijuana After US Refusal
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- Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed Mexico agreed to host Iran's national football team in Tijuana, just south of San Diego, after FIFA asked whether the squad could stay overnight there
- Sheinbaum said the US told FIFA it did not want the Iranian squad staying overnight in the country despite Iran playing all three group matches on US soil
- Iran's football federation announced the base shift from a planned Tucson, Arizona site to Tijuana, with FIFA officially confirming the move Monday when it released all 48 base camp locations
- Iran's federation head Mehdi Taj said Saturday the relocation avoids visa-related complications and that the squad will travel directly to Mexico aboard Iran Air flights
- The US State Department said in a statement that Trump made clear the Iranian team was welcome to participate in the tournament, but the statement did not address where the team would stay
- The 2026 World Cup runs from 11 June to 19 July and is co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico
Why it matters: The arrangement exposes a gap between the US public posture—welcoming Iran's participation—and its refusal to house the team overnight, leaving Mexico to absorb the base camp in Tijuana just south of San Diego. Iran's squad now faces cross-border travel to US match venues plus Iran Air logistics, while Sheinbaum's government absorbs accommodation duties for a team it will not host competitively.
