Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Monday that her government has agreed to allow the Iranian national football team to stay in Mexico during the 2026 World Cup. The decision comes after Fifa approached the Mexican government because the United States did not want to host the squad throughout the tournament.
The Iranian team will establish its training base in Tijuana, Mexico, and will stay there overnight. While the squad is still scheduled to play all three of its group stage matches in the United States, the players will travel into the U.S. only on matchdays.
President Sheinbaum stated that she has no issue with Mexico hosting the team. The move follows the U.S. refusal to let the players stay overnight on its soil, a decision influenced by security concerns, U.S. visa issues, and ongoing military tensions and chaos in the Middle East.