Mexico will allow Iran to base in the country during the FIFA World Cup 2026 so its players can avoid US visa restrictions, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday.
Iran’s national team, scheduled to play three first-round matches in U.S. stadiums, said Saturday that FIFA approved its plan to spend the night on the Mexican side of the border to avoid visa issues.
The Iranian team’s participation in the tournament has been shrouded in uncertainty since an offensive by the US and Israel against the Islamic republic began in late February.
The team had originally planned to camp in the US state of Arizona, in Tucson.
Sheinbaum told reporters at her daily news conference that “the United States does not want the Iranian team to stay overnight.” “So they asked us, ‘Can we spend the night in Mexico? We said sure, no problem.”
The Iranian team is based in the northwestern border state of Tijuana, where they will rest between two games in Los Angeles and a third in Seattle.
The players are in Group G and will debut on June 15 against New Zealand.
Mexican authorities are working with FIFA on the details of the Iranians’ stay, Sheinbaum said.
Iran and the U.S. severed diplomatic relations in 1980 after militants held dozens of Americans hostage for more than a year in the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
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