Iran Moves World Cup Base Out Of U.S. Amid Security And Visa Concerns

Iran moves – Iran’s World Cup training base has been shifted from Tucson, Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico after Iran’s federation said FIFA approved the change, citing Middle East war-linked security worries and lingering visa problems for players and staff entering the United

For weeks, Iran’s World Cup plans have carried an uneasy edge—one tied to a war in the Middle East and the practical realities of visas and security checks. Now that uncertainty has a new address.

Iran’s World Cup training base has been moved from the United States to Mexico, with the approval of FIFA, the president of the governing body of Iranian soccer said Saturday.

Mehdi Taj. president of the Iran Football Federation. said FIFA had approved the change after meetings and requests that stretched across multiple channels. including discussions in Istanbul and a webinar meeting held in Tehran with FIFA’s secretary general. Taj said that “All team base camps for the countries participating in the World Cup must be approved FIFA. ” and he added that the federation’s request to change the base camp location—from the United States to Mexico—was approved.

Taj said the Iranian team had been scheduled to hold its base camp at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Ariz., but the war in the Middle East and related security concerns had caused uncertainty about Iran’s World Cup activities.

In a video posted on the federation’s Telegram social media account. Taj said the team will be based in the Tijuana camp near the Pacific Ocean. on the border between Mexico and the United States. He framed the move as a way to resolve potential visa issues. noting that the base location could help address complications for the team entering the U.S. through Mexico.

Iranian officials had said earlier this month that their players and staff had not yet received U.S. visas—an issue that hung over preparations as the World Cup approaches.

FIFA has not yet confirmed the move publicly.

The timing matters. The World Cup is co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and runs from June 11 through July 19. As part of Group G, Iran is set to play its first two matches in Los Angeles—against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21—before a June 26 matchup against Egypt in Seattle.

A sequence of details now lines up with the concern at the center of the decision: a planned base camp at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson becomes uncertain amid security concerns tied to the Middle East war. visa delays for players and staff persist. and the federation points to a Mexico-based camp in Tijuana as the practical fix. If FIFA ultimately confirms the shift. the rest of Iran’s schedule will move forward under a different set of logistical assumptions—close to the U.S. border, and closer to the match sites across the tournament footprint.

For now. the message from the federation is clear: the base is moving. and the hope is that it will take some of the stress out of entering the United States. FIFA’s confirmation will determine whether this becomes the official blueprint for Iran’s tournament preparations—or a plan that still waits on approval from the sport’s governing body.

Iran World Cup FIFA Tucson Kino Sports Complex Tijuana camp visa issues security concerns Group G Los Angeles Seattle Mehdi Taj Iran Football Federation