The Iranian national football team will be based in Tijuana during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The decision, announced by the president of their federation, has been approved by FIFA so that the Asian team, which was going to be concentrated in Arizona, can avoid some of the United States’ immigration “complications.” This was stated by the president of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, in a video published on his Telegram account: “We will settle in the Tijuana field, which is near the Pacific Ocean and on the border between Mexico and the United States.”
Read more Cristian Mungiu, Palme d’Or winner with ‘Fjord’: “Let’s make the audience nervous”
The country has been facing uncertainty for months regarding travel preparations and security for the World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, especially after Donald Trump’s offensive on its territory. Iranian authorities stated this month that their players and coaching staff had not yet received U.S. visas less than a month before the start of the tournament. Taj said that guarantees about security and treatment had been requested from FIFA.
Amid doubts, in addition to moving their camp to Tijuana, Baja California, the Iranian federation has also requested to be able to play their matches in Mexico. Especially after Trump pointed out in March that Iran was free to participate in the tournament, but he did not believe it was “appropriate” for them to travel to compete in the World Cup “for their own life and safety.” The U.S. president even tried — unsuccessfully — to have Italy, which did not qualify for the tournament, replace Iran.
Read more Scenarios in post-Maduro Venezuela: “It is a great growth opportunity for Colombian entrepreneurs”
The Persian team, which is part of Group G, will play its first two matches in Los Angeles, the first against New Zealand on June 15 and the next against Belgium on June 21, before facing Egypt in Seattle on June 26. “The total distance between us and the venue of our matches in Los Angeles is 55 minutes by flight,” Taj said, noting that Tijuana is closer to the venues of their matches than the location that was planned in Arizona.
The logic of the World Cup is designed to avoid improvisations. The dates, venues, and travel routes of the teams are defined years before the tournament. Changing a single element implies altering an entire chain of logistical decisions. Tickets are already sold, broadcasts have signed commitments, and host cities planned the arrival of their teams and fans. In the first tournament to be played in three countries, the challenge is even greater.
Read more The Navy strikes Los Chapitos with 13 arrests in southern Sinaloa
