Mexican President Sheinbaum: Mexico will host Iran's nat'l soccer team during 2026 FIFA World Cup

 

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that Mexico has agreed to host Iran’s national soccer team during the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, after the United States refused to accommodate the squad for overnight stays for obvious national security reasons pertaining to the ongoing conflict.

Speaking during her daily press conference, Sheinbaum revealed that football’s global governing body, FIFA, directly approached the Mexican government to secure lodging and training facilities for the Iranian team once Washington made its restrictions clear.

According to surfacing reports, the logistical shakeup has even prompted the Iranian Football Federation to abandon its original plans to establish a World Cup base camp in Tucson, Arizona.

Instead, federation president Mehdi Taj announced that the team will relocate its headquarters to the Mexican border city of Tijuana, situated in Baja California along the Pacific coast. According to Iranian soccer officials, the shift to Tijuana not only circumvents the overnight visa denials imposed by the U.S., but it also allows the team to fly directly into Mexico via Iran Air.

 

Despite the diplomatic hurdle, Taj noted that Tijuana offers an alternative, keeping the squad just a 55-minute flight away from their opening match venues in Los Angeles. Geopolitical tensions between Washington and Tehran have cast a long shadow over the expanded 48-team tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11^th to July 19^th.

While the White House and the U.S. State Department did not immediately comment on the lodging ban, Sheinbaum emphasized that Mexico maintains a “neutral” stance and views the situation purely through the lens of “international hospitality.” 

 She reiterated to reporters that Mexico has no political or legal basis to deny the sports delegation entry, describing the agreement as a seamless solution coordinated in tandem with FIFA.

 

“We have no reason to deny the possibility of them staying in Mexico,” Sheinbaum said.

Iran is scheduled to make its World Cup debut on June 15^th against New Zealand in Los Angeles, followed by a June 21^st match against Belgium in the same city, before traveling further north to face Egypt in Seattle on June 26^th. Under the current arrangement, the players and technical staff will commute from Tijuana into the United States strictly for their matches and mandated pre-game sessions, returning to Mexican soil immediately afterward.

FIFA emphasized that it has endorsed the cross-border operational plan to ensure the Iranian team can compete fully without violating the parameters established by U.S. immigration authorities.