Iran's Soccer Team Ditches U.S. Training Base, Will Stage in Tijuana

Mehdi Taj, president of the Iran Football Federation, announced Saturday that Iran's national soccer team will base itself in Tijuana, Mexico instead of Tucson, Arizona for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The team had been scheduled to train at Kino Sports Complex in Tucson. Officials there had no comment when contacted by the Associated Press.

Taj said the switch was approved by FIFA following meetings with World Cup officials in Istanbul and a video call Friday with FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström. FIFA did not confirm the move publicly.

The World Cup runs June 11 to July 19, co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Iran plays all three group-stage games in the U.S. — against New Zealand on June 15 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, Belgium on June 21 also in Inglewood, and Egypt on June 26 at Lumen Field in Seattle.

Tensions Between U.S. and Iran

The U.S. and Israel launched joint airstrikes on Iran in late February 2026, according to The Athletic. That triggered months of Iranian officials questioning whether their team would show up at all.

The base camp move comes as a workaround. Tijuana sits just south of San Diego—close to Los Angeles, where Iran plays twice. The federation said proximity to Inglewood was a key factor in the decision, and that the Tijuana facility includes "training facilities, gym, private restaurant and everything else the team needs," according to the PBS NewsHour report citing the Associated Press.

The federation said basing in Mexico resolves visa issues. Iranian players will enter the U.S. through the Mexico border rather than flying directly into American airports. Taj also floated the possibility the team could use Iran Air flights to travel between Tehran and Tijuana—sidestepping U.S. airspace entirely.

Questions on FIFA Confirmation

FIFA has not confirmed the move as of the announcement, according to both the AP (via PBS NewsHour) and The Athletic. Taj says it's approved; FIFA has made no public statement.

At the FIFA Congress in Vancouver last month, FIFA president Gianni Infantino explicitly stated Iran would play their games in the U.S. as scheduled, according to The Guardian.

In March, when Iranian officials pushed to move their matches to Mexico, FIFA flatly refused. Only the training base has moved—the games remain in California and Seattle. Iran must still cross the border and operate on American soil for every match.

Political Involvement

President Trump posted in March that it wasn't "appropriate" for Iran's team to come to the U.S., citing concerns for the players' "life and safety," according to The Athletic.

Both Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio later said Iran's players are welcome. The Kino Sports Complex in Tucson had spent months preparing. Law enforcement agencies were meeting regularly to coordinate security as recently as last week, per a source with direct knowledge cited by The Athletic.

Security Questions

The team still travels into the U.S. for every match. They still need security coordination across the border. American law enforcement must protect Iranian athletes on U.S. soil—at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood and Lumen Field in Seattle. Moving the hotel and training field south of San Diego does not change the security requirements for the games themselves.

Team History

Team Melli is making its fourth straight World Cup appearance and seventh overall. They have never advanced past the group stage.

Impact

For Americans attending games in Inglewood and Seattle, nothing changes. Iran still plays there. Tickets remain valid.

For Tucson, the facility lost its tenant with less than three weeks to go. The federation and FIFA have offered no explanation or compensation.

This move reflects broader organizational challenges from awarding a tournament to a country actively at war with one of the participating nations.