FIFA has approved Iran’s special request to relocate its World Cup training base ahead of the 2026 tournament, in a major development unfolding alongside ongoing peace negotiations between Iran and the United States.
Iran Football Federation president Mehdi Taj confirmed the decision after a series of discussions with FIFA officials and tournament organisers.
The approval comes after months of uncertainty surrounding Iran’s participation in the expanded 48-team World Cup, largely due to geopolitical tensions with the United States and growing security concerns affecting the team’s preparations.
Iran, drawn in Group G alongside New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt, previously faced fears of withdrawing from the tournament following escalating regional conflicts earlier this year.
The situation became even more complicated after visa-related issues reportedly disrupted Iran’s attendance at several official FIFA meetings.
Although Iran eventually confirmed its participation, logistical headaches continued as all of their group-stage matches were scheduled to be played in the United States.
The team had initially pushed for their matches to be relocated to Mexico, but FIFA rejected the request due to operational and logistical concerns.
However, football’s world governing body later agreed to a separate request allowing Iran to move its training base from Tucson to Tijuana.
According to Mehdi Taj, the agreement was finalised after meetings with FIFA representatives in Istanbul and further online discussions with the organisation’s secretary-general.
Iran are currently holding a training camp in Türkiye before opening their World Cup campaign against New Zealand on June 15 at SoFi Stadium.
They will return to the same venue for their second group match against Belgium before completing the group stage against Egypt on June 27.
The move to Tijuana is expected to significantly ease Iran’s travel logistics, with flights to Los Angeles taking only around one hour, while also simplifying matchday operations and team movement.
Meanwhile, diplomatic negotiations between the United States and Iran are reportedly still ongoing in hopes of securing a long-term peace agreement following a recent ceasefire, adding further political tension to Iran’s preparations for football’s biggest tournament.
Iran secured qualification for the World Cup in March after topping Asia’s qualifying Group A and will now be making their seventh appearance at the global tournament.
The nation’s biggest ambition remains reaching the knockout stage for the first time in their World Cup history.
