The United States is co-hosting the World Cup this summer, yet has told one of the competing nations it isn't welcome on American soil. Iran will be sleeping in Tijuana and crossing the border only on match days — a logistical workaround that shouldn't have been necessary in the first place.
Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the arrangement on May 25, after FIFA approached her government following Washington's refusal to host the Iranian squad. Iran's ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, visited Tijuana on May 28 to personally thank Sheinbaum for stepping in. He made no effort to soften the politics: the US, he said, had "failed to fulfil its responsibility" as a host nation.
A short commute with a lot of diplomatic weight
Under the agreement, Iran's base moves from Arizona to the Mexican border city of Tijuana. FIFA confirmed the switch on Monday. The team will travel into the US exclusively on match days — three of them, all in Group G.
- June 15: vs New Zealand, Los Angeles
- June 21: vs Belgium, Los Angeles
- June 26: vs Egypt, Seattle
Mehdi Taj, head of Iran's football federation, announced the Tijuana base over the weekend. On paper, the logistics are manageable. In practice, it's an extraordinary situation — a team preparing for a World Cup group stage while navigating daily border crossings and the political baggage that comes with them.
Pasandideh also flagged that visas for Iranian fans have still not been issued. Host nations are obligated under FIFA rules to provide visas to both squads and their supporters. That obligation, as of late May, appears to be going unmet.
What this means on the pitch
Iran finished third in the Asian qualifiers and enters a Group G that includes Belgium — a side that, even in transition, carries far more individual quality. Disrupted preparation rarely helps the underdog. Training camp continuity, full team travel, fan support in the stadium — Iran is starting at a disadvantage before a ball is kicked.
Group G betting markets will factor in more than just squad depth. A team sleeping in one country and playing in another, with no home crowd to speak of, is carrying real off-field weight into every fixture.
The visas for Iranian fans still haven't come through. That's the last fact standing, and it's a damning one.
