3 days ago
27
The president of the governing assemblage of Iranian shot said Saturday the nation's World Cup grooming base has been moved to Mexico from the United States aft getting support from FIFA.
Mehdi Taj, president of the Iran Football Federation, announced the determination Saturday successful a connection issued by the federation's media relations official. FIFA has not confirmed the move.
Iran had been scheduled to bid successful Tucson, Arizona, but a determination has been a anticipation due to the fact that of uncertainty surrounding the warfare successful the Middle East and information concerns. Officials astatine Tucson's Kino Sports Complex had nary comment.
The federation says the squad volition present beryllium based successful Tijuana, Mexico, conscionable southbound of San Diego. This year's World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 and volition beryllium co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Players for the Iran nationalist shot squad get astatine a visa exertion halfway to use for Canadian visas successful Ankara, Turkey, connected May 21, 2026.
Dogukan Keskinkilic/Anadolu via Getty Images
"All squad basal camps for the countries participating successful the World Cup indispensable beryllium approved FIFA," Taj said successful his statement. "Fortunately, pursuing the requests we submitted and the meetings we held with FIFA and World Cup officials successful Istanbul, arsenic good arsenic the webinar gathering we had yesterday successful the Tehran with the respected FIFA caput general, our petition to alteration the team's basal from the United States to Mexico was approved."
Iran plays Group G games successful Inglewood, California, against New Zealand connected June 15 and Belgium six days later, past faces Egypt connected June 26 successful Seattle. The federation said Tijuana's comparatively adjacent proximity to Inglewood, a suburb of Los Angeles, volition payment the squad and the caller determination "includes each grooming facilities, gym, backstage edifice and everything other the squad needs."
Team Melli is appearing successful its 4th consecutive World Cup and seventh overall. It has ne'er precocious past the archetypal round.
Iran's federation said moving the basal campy volition resoluteness imaginable visa issues since the squad volition participate the U.S. done Mexico. The president said that the squad "may adjacent beryllium capable to question to and from Mexico utilizing Iran Air flights."
Teams usage basal camps for grooming up of and aft matches.
President Trump's messaging connected Iran's information successful the World Cup has been murky. In a White House meeting in mid-March, Mr. Trump told FIFA representatives that Iran was invited to play successful the tournament, officials told CBS News astatine the time. However, 2 days later, Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social that portion the Iranian squad was "welcome" to participate, helium didn't "believe it is due that they beryllium there, for their ain beingness and safety."
Following those remarks, Taj said Iran was negotiating with FIFA to play its matches successful Mexico.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has repeatedly said that Iran volition participate, however. On April 30 successful Vancouver, Canada, portion addressing the FIFA Congress — an yearly gathering which involves FIFA representatives from much than 200 nations — Infantino opened his remarks by "confirming, consecutive away, for those who privation to accidental thing other oregon constitute thing else, that of people Iran volition beryllium participating astatine the FIFA World Cup 2026. And of people Iran volition play successful the United States of America."
In:
English (US) ·