Iran to Commute to World Cup Games from Mexico After U.S. Base Refusal, Says Sheinbaum
The Iranian national soccer team will sleep in Mexico and commute across the border for its group-stage matches after the United States declined to allow the squad to stay overnight on U.S. soil. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the extraordinary cross-border arrangement during her daily press conference on Monday, revealing that soccer’s global governing body, FIFA, approached her administration after Washington expressed strict reservations about hosting the team. “The United States doesn’t want the Iranian national team to stay overnight in the United States,” Sheinbaum told reporters. “So they asked us, ‘Can they stay overnight in Mexico?’ And we said, ‘Yes, no problem. We have no issue with that.'”
The geopolitical compromise completely upends Team Melli’s original tournament logistics. The Iranian Football Federation had initially scheduled its official World Cup base camp in Tucson, Arizona. However, escalating tensions in the Middle East—following active military conflicts involving Iran, Israel, and the United States earlier this year—clouded the team’s participation and prompted intense security and diplomatic reviews. Mehdi Taj, head of Iran’s football federation, confirmed that FIFA endorsed shifting their home base to the northwestern Mexican border city of Tijuana. The relocation is intended to bypass severe U.S. visa complications and allows the squad to fly directly into Mexico aboard Iran Air flights.
Despite sleeping south of the border, Iran will still play all three of its Group G matches inside American stadiums. The team is scheduled to make its tournament debut against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on June 15, followed by a match against Belgium at the same venue on June 21, before traveling north to face Egypt at Seattle’s Lumen Field on June 26. While Iran’s Sports Minister, Ahmad Donyamali, stated that FIFA President Gianni Infantino guaranteed match-day visas for all players, entry restrictions remain highly sensitive. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that while the players are welcome to compete, individuals with documented links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—including those who completed mandatory military service within the branch—could face strict U.S. entry blocks.
The U.S. State Department did not directly address Sheinbaum’s comments regarding the overnight ban, though they reiterated that President Donald Trump wants the team to participate. While the double-track setup introduces massive travel hurdles for the athletes, Sheinbaum emphasized that Mexican authorities are working closely with FIFA to finalize seamless logistical and security operations. The unprecedented Tijuana-to-California commute highlights the intense friction between international sports and global diplomacy, marking a highly political start to the historic 48-team tournament co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
