Mexico to host Iran players for World Cup as war tensions simmer

Gonzalo Soto, Bloomberg News on May 25, 2026

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Mexico will serve as the Iranian national team’s World Cup base after U.S. authorities refused to let the players stay overnight on its soil amid ongoing military tensions.

Mexico agreed to host the team after a FIFA representative approached authorities about the possibility, President Claudia Sheinbaum told reporters on Monday.

“The U.S. doesn’t want the Iranian national team to stay overnight there, so they asked us if they could stay here,” she said. “We have no problem with that, we have no reason to deny them that possibility.”

Iran has maintained its intention to participate in the tournament despite months of hostilities with the U.S. and Israel, which launched military attacks on the Middle Eastern nation in February. Washington and Tehran are currently seeking a peace deal to end the conflict.

Sheinbaum said that Tijuana, a city bordering the U.S. across from San Diego, is so far the top option to host the team, although Mexican officials are still looking into different locations.

The five-week World Cup tournament is jointly hosted by Mexico, Canada and the U.S., with three-quarters of the 104 matches to be played in U.S. cities. It kicks off in Mexico City on June 11, and ends with the final on July 19 just outside New York City.

Iran is scheduled to play its first two games against New Zealand and Belgium in Inglewood, California, while its last first round match against Egypt is set to be played in Seattle.

The logistics for Iran’s World Cup players are still unclear, including which airlines they will fly and how they will get around in the U.S., Sheinbaum added.

On Saturday, the Iranian soccer federation said it would be moving the team’s training base for the World Cup to Mexico because tensions with the U.S. remain high.

“Following the requests we submitted and the meetings we held with FIFA and World Cup officials in Istanbul, as well as the webinar meeting we had yesterday in Tehran, our request to change the team’s base from the U.S. to Mexico was approved,” according to a federation statement.