The Iranian Football Federation has decided to relocate its training camp for the 2026 World Cup from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, which is about 300 miles further south.
President Mehdi Taj shared this news Saturday morning, indicating that the national men’s soccer team will now conduct its training in Mexico following FIFA’s approval.
This shift comes amidst rising geopolitical tensions as World Cup kickoff approaches on June 11th. The recent conflict—sparked by US and Israeli military actions against Iranian sites starting February 28—has raised questions regarding Iran’s participation in the tournament to be held in North America.
Initially, Iran planned to train at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson before moving to Los Angeles for its first two group matches. But as hostilities continued and tensions escalated, Taj had even hinted at a potential boycott and requested that group matches be moved to Mexico instead of the US.
Comments from US President Donald Trump didn’t ease the situation. In March, he expressed that while he wouldn’t object to Iran’s participation, it might not be “appropriate” for the team’s safety.
FIFA has rebuffed Iran’s request to relocate matches but has approved the training camp’s move due to ongoing uncertainties regarding travel logistics and security issues.
Taj noted that FIFA must approve all team base camps, and further discussions in Istanbul helped facilitate this change.
Tijuana, conveniently located just across the border from Southern California, is about a two- to three-hour drive from Inglewood, where Iran will kick off Group G play against New Zealand on June 15. Iran’s subsequent matches include a game against Belgium six days later, wrapping up group play against Egypt in Seattle on June 26th.
