The Iranian national team will not be staying in the USA, but in Tijuana, Mexico. According to President Claudia Sheinbaum, the reason for this is the USA's unwillingness to host the team.
25.05.2026, 23:33
SDA
"The United States does not want the Iranian national team to spend the night in the USA," said the Mexican head of state.
According to Sheinbaum, FIFA had asked Mexico whether it would be prepared to accommodate the Iranians. The answer was: "Yes, no problem, we have no objections," said the head of state.
The new location for the Iranians will be the Mexican city of Tijuana on the border with the USA, as FIFA has now also confirmed. Sheinbaum had said shortly beforehand that details were still being examined.
Journey to Los Angeles now shorter
Iran's national team was originally due to be based in Tucson in the US state of Arizona. Mehdi Taj, President of the Iranian Football Association, had cited the distance to Los Angeles, where Iran will play their first two group matches against New Zealand and Belgium, as the official reason for the change of venue. Due to the proximity of the quarters to the US-American border, the journey to Los Angeles would only take just under an hour. The problems in connection with visas and entry have also been largely resolved, said the association president.
Iran has been in a military conflict with the USA since the end of February. The entry of the Iranian national team into the United States had caused discussions. Representatives of the Iranian Football Association recently met with FIFA in Istanbul to discuss Iran's participation in the World Cup.
