Iran World Cup Squad to Arrive in Mexico on Sunday
The Iran national football team is set to arrive in Mexico early on Sunday, June 7, as they prepare to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The squad will be based in the Mexican city of Tijuana for the duration of the tournament, according to an official team statement released on Wednesday.
The team will depart from Antalya, Turkey, where they have been training since May 18, at 15:20 local time (12:20 GMT) on Saturday, June 6, and is scheduled to land in Mexico at 01:30 (07:30 GMT) on Sunday. The switch to Mexico as their base came following visa complications related to entry into the United States amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
Originally, the plan was for the Iranian team, known as Team Melli, to be based in Tucson, Arizona. However, due to difficulties in obtaining US visas resulting from hostilities that began on February 28, coinciding with a short conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran, the squad shifted their plans to stay in Tijuana, a city on the northwestern border of Mexico.
Mehdi Taj, the head of the Iranian football federation, indicated that the players were expected to receive their Mexican visas by midweek, with US visas to follow promptly. The team’s travel route will include a stopover in Spain before reaching Mexico.
Before departing for Mexico, Iran will play a final friendly match against Mali in Antalya on Thursday, June 4. The team had recorded a 3-1 victory over Gambia in their previous friendly on May 29.
The 2026 World Cup is being jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19. Iran has been drawn into Group G, where they will face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June 15 and 21 respectively, followed by a match against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
This adjustment in Iran’s base camp highlights the ongoing complexities that political events can impose on international sporting events. Despite these challenges, Team Melli remains focused on their World Cup campaign and their upcoming matches in the tournament.