Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday she has “no issue” with Mexico hosting Iran’s World Cup team after its training base was moved from the United States ahead of the summer tournament.
Iran will still play its group-stage matches in the U.S., but its base camp has been moved to Tijuana, just south of San Diego, according to an announcement from the Iranian Football Federation that was later confirmed Monday by FIFA.
The change comes amid ongoing conflict involving Iran following a military escalation by the United States and Israel on Feb. 28.
Speaking at a news conference, Sheinbaum said a FIFA representative told her the U.S. was reluctant to allow the Iranian squad to remain on American soil outside match days, prompting the relocation of its base camp to Mexico.
“The United States doesn’t want the Iranian national team to stay overnight in the United States,” Sheinbaum told reporters. She said a FIFA representative then asked, “Can they stay overnight in Mexico?”
“And we said, ‘Yes, no problem. We have no issue with that,’” she said.
Iran’s national team is scheduled to play matches in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand on June 15 and against Belgium six days later, before facing Egypt on June 26 in Seattle.
Before the conflict, the team was originally set to base in Tucson, Arizona. But with tensions rising, Iran moved its base to Tijuana, Sheinbaum said, confirming an announcement by the Iranian federation over the weekend. The federation said Iran received approval from FIFA, which made the move official Monday when it released the list of all 48 base camp sites.
Teams use base camps to train before and after matches. This year’s World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 and will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The possibility of a relocation had been discussed for months amid uncertainty surrounding the conflict in the Middle East and security concerns. U.S. sanctions on Iran were expected to further complicate the team’s stay in the U.S.
The U.S. State Department said in a statement Monday that President Donald Trump had made it clear the Iranian team is welcome to participate in the tournament.
The statement did not address where the team might stay or Sheinbaum’s comments.
Sheinbaum said her government is working with FIFA to finalize all logistical details ahead of the competition.
