Iran to travel via Spain to World Cup base in Mexico

Iran will travel to Spain this weekend before moving to its World Cup base in Tijuana, football federation chief Mehdi Taj said. He said war-related disruption, visa delays and financial pressures had affected the team’s preparations.

TEHRAN: Iran’s national football team will depart for Spain this weekend before travelling on to its World Cup base in Mexico, even though visas are still being processed, the head of the country’s football federation said.

The 2026 World Cup is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. According to football federation chief Mehdi Taj, neither the United States nor Mexico had yet issued visas for the Iranian squad, despite Mexico being the team’s tournament base and the United States hosting all three of Iran’s group-stage matches.

Speaking on a sports programme on state television on Monday, Taj said the squad would leave on Saturday and then continue directly to Tijuana. He said Mexican visas were expected within one or two days, adding that US visas would then be issued quickly.

Iran have been placed in Group G and are scheduled to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June 15 and 21, before taking on Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

War and economic pressures hit preparations

Taj said the outbreak of war in the Middle East on February 28, when the United States and Israel attacked Iran, had disrupted the team’s planning for the tournament.

He said the conflict had forced major changes to Team Melli’s arrangements, including the cancellation in February of planned warm-up matches such as a fixture against Spain. Taj also said the country’s wartime situation had overturned broader preparations for the competition.

Iran had originally planned to base themselves in Tucson, Arizona, during the World Cup, but shifted their camp to Tijuana, a city on Mexico’s northwestern border, amid tensions linked to the conflict in the Middle East.

The team are currently holding their pre-tournament camp in Turkey. Iran beat Gambia 3-1 in a friendly in Antalya on Friday and are due to play Mali in another warm-up match there on Thursday.

Taj also said preparations had been affected by financial strain, citing the country’s economic crisis and the sharp fall of the rial against the dollar.