Iran moves World Cup training camp to Tijuana after FIFA approval

Iran’s national football team will relocate its World Cup training base to Tijuana, Mexico, after FIFA approved a request to move from a previously planned camp in Arizona, the head of the country’s football federation announced on Saturday. The decision was driven by concerns over visa complications and security following the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, according to federation president Mehdi Taj.

Taj said in a video posted on the federation’s Telegram account that the squad would be based in Tijuana, a Mexican border city near the Pacific Ocean. He added that the switch would help avoid visa-related problems and allow the team to fly directly to Mexico using Iran Air. The total flight time from Tijuana to Los Angeles, where Iran will play its first two group matches, is 55 minutes, Taj noted, describing the location as closer to match venues than the Arizona camp.

Iran is scheduled to play its first two Group G matches in Los Angeles against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21, followed by a match against Egypt in Seattle on June 26. The World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, runs from June 11 to July 19.