Iran To Be Based In Mexico And Fly Into USA On Day Before FIFA World Cup 2026 Opener

Last Updated:June 10, 2026, 09:44 IST

Iran will base its World Cup team in Tijuana, play group games in the United States amid a visa dispute, and warns matches may stop if banned symbols or slogans appear

Iran’s football federation announced on Tuesday that the national World Cup team will fly to Los Angeles the day before their opening group-stage match against New Zealand.

The Iranian team will be based in Tijuana, Mexico, for the duration of the tournament, despite playing all three of their first-round matches in the United States.

Iran will open their FIFA World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on Monday, then face Belgium in the same city on June 21, before playing Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

Their participation has been overshadowed by the ongoing military conflict between Iran and the United States.

Although the players obtained the visas required to enter the United States, 15 members of their support staff in management and administrative roles were denied visas.

The visa dispute erupted just days before the World Cup kicks off on Thursday. The tournament is being jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

“In accordance with FIFA’s programme, the team delegation will travel to the United States on a charter flight," the Iranian federation’s spokesperson, Amir Mehdi Alavi, said in a statement carried by Iran’s ISNA news agency.

“The team will travel to the host city one day before the match against New Zealand, and for the following two matches, we will be at the host venue two days before the game," he added.

Only Aproved Symbols!

Iran’s Sports Minister, Ahmad Donyamali, separately warned against the display of certain symbols during matches.

“If, in the stadiums where we play, we see any flag or symbol other than that of the Islamic Republic of Iran, or if norm-breaking slogans are chanted, the team official will certainly have a duty to stop the match," he was quoted as saying by Iran’s official IRNA news agency.

“It is the responsibility of the organisers to rectify the situation," he added.

FIFA rules prohibit political symbols at World Cup matches.

(With inputs from Agencies)

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Ritayan Basu

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for over a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket conten...Read More

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