Claudia Sheinbaum says Iran will commute to its World Cup matches in the United States after Washington declined to host the team during the tournament.
Image ARY News
Iran national football team will stay in Mexico and travel to the United States only for match days during the 2026 World Cup, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Monday.
She said FIFA contacted Mexico after U.S. authorities decided they did not want Iran’s squad based in the country throughout the tournament. Despite this, Iran is still scheduled to play all three Group G matches in the United States.
Iran will face New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21, and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
Iranian football federation chief Mehdi Taj said the team’s base camp has been moved from Arizona to the Mexican border city of Tijuana. FIFA later confirmed the change.
Taj explained that the move would reduce visa complications and allow direct Iran Air flights into Mexico.
Concerns over Iran’s participation increased after tensions escalated between the United States, Israel, and Iran earlier this year. The situation raised doubts about whether Iran would travel to one of the World Cup host nations.
Earlier this year, Iran discussed the possibility of moving its group matches to Mexico for safety reasons, but FIFA kept the original schedule unchanged.
Speculation also grew about Iran’s place in the tournament after U.S. envoy Paolo Zampolli suggested Italy could replace Iran. However, FIFA and Italian officials dismissed the idea.
Iran secured its place at a fourth straight World Cup after finishing top of its Asian qualifying group last year.
