Iran Moves World Cup Base Camp from Tucson to Tijuana
Team Melli has changed its 2026 FIFA World Cup base camp from the United States to Mexico, according to Iranian football officials.
Mehdi Taj, president of the Iran Football Federation, said Saturday that Iran’s World Cup training base has been moved from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, after receiving approval from FIFA.
Iran had originally been scheduled to train at Kino Sports Complex in Tucson ahead of the tournament, but a change had been considered possible because of uncertainty surrounding the war in the Middle East and security concerns.
According to Taj, Iran submitted requests and held meetings with FIFA and World Cup officials in Istanbul, followed by a webinar meeting with the FIFA secretary general, before the request to move the base camp was approved.
FIFA has not yet confirmed the move. Officials at Tucson’s Kino Sports Complex had no comment on the reported change.
The Iran Football Federation said the move to Mexico could help resolve potential visa issues, since Team Melli would enter the United States through Mexico. Taj also suggested the team may be able to travel to and from Mexico using Iran Air flights.
Team Melli will now be based in Tijuana, just south of San Diego, while continuing preparations for Group G matches against New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt.
Iran opens its World Cup campaign against New Zealand on June 15 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, before facing Belgium on June 21 and Egypt on June 26 in Seattle.
The 2026 World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19 and will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Iran is appearing in its fourth straight World Cup and seventh overall.