Iran will base its World Cup training camp in Tijuana, Mexico, after FIFA approved a request to relocate the squad from Arizona, Iran Football Federation President Mehdi Taj announced on Saturday in a video posted to the federation’s Telegram channel. Taj said the move — approved days before the tournament — was chosen to avoid visa-related complications and to simplify travel logistics ahead of Iran’s group-stage matches in the United States.
“We will be based in the Tijuana camp, which is near the Pacific Ocean and on the border between Mexico and the United States,” Taj said, adding that the squad will be able to travel directly to Mexico on Iran Air flights. He described Tijuana as closer to the Los Angeles venues than the previously planned Arizona base and emphasised the practical benefits of operating from the Mexican border city.
The change comes amid mounting concern from Iranian officials that players and staff had not received U.S. visas less than a month before the World Cup starts on June 12. Taj said the federation had pressed FIFA for guarantees over visas, security and the treatment of the Iranian delegation, and framed the Tijuana move as a way to sidestep potential entry issues into the United States. FIFA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Iran’s first two Group G fixtures are in Los Angeles — against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21 — before the team travels to Seattle to face Egypt on June 26. Taj noted the short hop between Tijuana and Los Angeles, saying the flight time would be approximately 55 minutes, underscoring the logistical convenience compared with the earlier Arizona plan.
The relocation highlights the complex administrative and diplomatic hurdles surrounding Iran’s participation in a tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Iranian officials have spent months negotiating arrangements for travel and security, and the late change of base underlines the urgency of resolving visa and entry issues for the delegation in the run-up to the World Cup.
By basing in Tijuana, Iran will use a Mexican staging point while flying to U.S. match venues as required. The switch to a Mexican camp and direct flights to Mexico with Iran Air represent the most recent adjustments in Iran’s World Cup preparations, announced with less than a month to go before the tournament opens on June 12 and runs through July 20. FIFA, national associations and tournament organisers have faced heightened scrutiny over ensuring all teams can travel and compete without administrative obstacles as the event approaches.