Gianni Infantino has been navigating a delicate situation with Iran as the only national team without a confirmed base camp just weeks before the 2026 World Cup kicks off. FIFA has now officially resolved the matter, confirming that the Middle Eastern nation will relocate its training base to Mexico, joining six other competing nations in the country.
Iran had originally been assigned a base camp in Tucson, Arizona, but the ongoing tensions between the United States and Iran created significant uncertainty around the delegation’s security on American soil. Iranian Football Federation president Mehdi Taj explained to CBS News that the decision to relocate was driven by the need to ensure the safety of the entire Iranian party throughout the tournament.
On Sunday, Taj confirmed that Iran’s base camp has officially moved from the United States to Mexico, a decision that has received FIFA‘s approval. The new training site will be located in Tijuana, just south of the San Diego border crossing, a location the federation believes will help mitigate potential visa complications when crossing into the United States for matches.
Since tensions escalated in 2026, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has consistently resisted calls to remove Iran from the tournament, and the governing body has worked to put conditions in place that would allow the federation to participate. Reports have indicated that Iran submitted seven specific conditions to FIFA as prerequisites for their involvement in the competition.
On Monday, Iranian Minister of Sports Ahmad Donyamali spoke to the assurances Infantino has provided regarding U.S. entry visas for the Iranian delegation. “The president of FIFA promised us that all of our players would receive a visa. There is no reason why our players should not receive a visa,” the minister declared, as quoted by the Iranian news agency Isna.
Drawn into Group G, Iran will need to cross the border from Mexico into the United States for each of their three group stage matches. Their opener against New Zealand on June 15 and the second game against Belgium on June 21 are both scheduled at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, while their final group stage fixture against Egypt on June 27 will take place at Lumen Field in Seattle.
All 48 base camps for the 2026 World Cup confirmed
With Iran’s situation now resolved, FIFA has officially confirmed the base camp locations for all 48 nations participating in the 2026 World Cup. The vast majority of teams, 39 in total, will be based in the United States, while two have been assigned to Canada, and Iran will join six other national teams in Mexico.
Alongside Iran, Colombia, South Korea, South Africa, Tunisia, Uruguay and host nation Mexico are confirmed as the seven participating teams based in Mexico. To the north, Panama will join Canada at The Great White North, while the remaining 39 nations will be spread across locations throughout the United States.
