Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday that her government agreed to allow the Iranian national football team to stay in Mexico while it competes in the World Cup.
Although Iran will still play its group stage matches in the United States, its base has been moved to Tijuana, Mexico, just south of San Diego, California.
Sheinbaum said that FIFA approached her government after the United States said it did not want Iran’s team to remain in the country for the duration of the tournament.
Iran will play two group stage matches in the Los Angeles area and one in Seattle.
BREAKING: Iran’s soccer team has moved its base camp for the World Cup to Mexico from the United States, the president of the Iran Football Federation said. https://t.co/Y9QvcEP47o
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 23, 2026
More from the Associated Press:
Sheinbaum said at a news conference Monday that she was told by a FIFA representative the U.S. was reluctant to have the Iranian soccer team spend time outside the games on U.S. territory.
“The United States doesn’t want the Iranian national team to stay overnight in the United States,” Sheinbaum told reporters. She said a FIFA representative had then asked, “Can they stay overnight in Mexico?”
“And we said, ‘Yes, no problem. We have no issue with that’,” she said.
Iran’s soccer team is slated to play matches in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand on June 15 and against Belgium six days later, before facing Egypt on June 26 in Seattle.
Before the war broke out, the team was originally planned to set up its base in Tucson, Arizona. But with tensions simmering, Iran’s team moved its base to Tijuana in Mexico, Sheinbaum said, confirming an announcement by the Iranian federation over the weekend. The federation said the Iranians had received approval from FIFA, which made the move official on Monday when it released the lists of all 48 base camp sites.
Iran’s national team is currently preparing for the tournament in Turkey.
“Iran’s sports minister Ahmad Donyamali also confirmed world football’s governing body has said the Iran squad will be given visas to play in the US this summer,” BBC stated.
“The Fifa president promised us that all our players would receive visas. There is no reason why our players should not receive visas,” Donyamali said, according to the outlet.
Watch Sheinbaum below:
NEW: “We have no reason to deny the possibility of them staying in Mexico…” @Claudiashein says Mexico has agreed to host Iran’s national team during the World Cup after she says the U.S. refused to allow the team to stay overnight.
She says FIFA is reviewing the option to have… pic.twitter.com/R4a8wTvGJX
— Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) May 25, 2026
BBC shared further:
The Iranian FA (FFIRI) had presented Fifa with a list of 10 conditions for their participation at the World Cup, including allowing players, coaches and officials who have completed military service with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to receive visas.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Iran’s players will be welcome at the tournament but individuals with links to the IRGC could face entry restrictions.
Taj was one of a number of FFIRI officials turned away at the Canadian border before April’s Fifa annual congress in Vancouver with Canada’s immigration minister telling parliament his visa was cancelled because of links to the IRGC.
Some members of the squad went to the US embassy in Ankara on Thursday to submit visa applications for the tournament.
