Mexico set to host Iranian football team during World Cup

By Andrew Naughtie Published on 25/05/2026 - 18:31 GMT+2 Share Comments Share Facebook Twitter Flipboard Send Reddit Linkedin Messenger Telegram VK Bluesky Threads Whatsapp

The future of Iran's World Cup campaign has been thrown into doubt by the Trump administration's military attacks and the ensuing chaos in the Middle East and beyond.

Mexico is prepared to host the Iranian football team during this summer's World Cup, solving at least one of the team's problems ahead of a politically tense tour through North America for the summer competition.

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At a daily press conference on Monday, President Claudia Sheinbaum said that her government has "no reason to deny them the possibility of staying in Mexico".

Over the weekend, with less than a month to go till the start of the tournament, the Iranian team announced it was moving its World Cup camp from the US state of Arizona to Tijuana to avoid visa complications.

However, the team's first two games will take place in Los Angeles and its third in Seattle, making questions of admission to the US unavoidable.

The White House has yet to respond to Sheinbaum's comments.

US President Donald Trump has said that his administration is close to announcing a full deal with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end hostilities after weeks of conflict, but Tehran has disputed his claims of progress and no finalised deal has been unveiled as yet.

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• Iran
• World Cup 2026
• Mexico