Iran’s national football team will “sleep in Mexico and travel to the United States on the days of its three World Cup matches” after U.S. authorities declined to host the squad for overnight stays during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to multiple reports confirmed by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
The arrangement means Iran will base its training camp in Tijuana, Mexico, while still playing all its group-stage matches inside the United States as originally scheduled. The decision has been formally approved by FIFA and comes after weeks of diplomatic and logistical negotiations involving the United States, Mexico, Iran’s football federation, and tournament organizers.
According to Sheinbaum, the change was triggered after FIFA approached Mexico when the United States indicated it did not want the Iranian team staying on its territory for the duration of the tournament, even though Iran will be competing in U.S. cities such as Los Angeles and Seattle. Mexico agreed to host the team without objection, allowing Iran to maintain a nearby base just across the border.
Iran is scheduled to play its group matches in Los Angeles against New Zealand and Belgium, before heading to Seattle to face Egypt. Under the new arrangement, the team will cross into the United States only on match days, returning to its Mexican base immediately afterward.
The Iranian federation had originally planned to base the squad in Arizona, but security concerns, visa complications, and broader geopolitical tensions contributed to the relocation. Reports indicate that rising instability linked to the Iran conflict and U.S. sanctions also influenced travel arrangements and made prolonged stays in the United States more difficult for the delegation.
FIFA has maintained that Iran remains fully part of the tournament schedule and has not altered its match fixtures. Instead, the governing body has opted for what it describes as a practical logistical solution, allowing the team to operate from Mexico while ensuring compliance with security and immigration requirements in the United States.
The arrangement highlights the unusual geopolitical backdrop of the 2026 World Cup, which is jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. While cross-border team movement is not new in modern tournaments, Iran’s case is particularly sensitive because it involves daily international travel during group-stage fixtures hosted entirely in one of the co-host nations.
Mexican officials have emphasized that their decision is purely logistical and humanitarian, not political. Sheinbaum stated that Mexico had “no issue” hosting the Iranian team and would ensure they have full access to training facilities and accommodation in Tijuana, a border city close to San Diego, California.
The move also reflects FIFA’s growing reliance on flexible base-camp arrangements for teams facing political or security constraints. Base camps are essential for preparation, recovery, and team coordination, and relocating them can significantly affect performance and logistics.
However, the situation has also sparked wider debate. Some analysts argue that Iran’s forced cross-border commuting highlights deeper tensions surrounding international sport and geopolitics, particularly in tournaments hosted across multiple countries with varying diplomatic relations. Others see it as a compromise that preserves Iran’s participation while minimizing potential security friction.
Despite the controversy, Iran remains fully eligible and confirmed for the tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 19, 2026. The team will continue its preparations in Mexico and is expected to coordinate closely with FIFA and local authorities to ensure smooth border crossings for match days.
Ultimately, the arrangement represents one of the most unusual logistical solutions in World Cup history, underscoring how global politics can shape even the routine details of international sport. The Iranian squad will effectively live in Mexico for the duration of the tournament while competing in the United States, making it a cross-border commute unlike anything previously seen at football’s biggest event.