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Iran set travel date for Mexico World Cup base despite visa delay
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- Iran set travel date for Mexico World Cup base despite visa delay
Photo by Orhan Cicek/Anadolu via Getty Images
Iran have confirmed their departure date for Mexico ahead of the 2026 World Cup, with the squad due to leave Antalya for Tijuana on Saturday, June 6.
Their journey to North America had been held up by visa delays, with Iran still waiting on entry paperwork for both Mexico and the United States when their travel plan was reported .
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Those permits have now been secured, clearing the way for Team Melli to travel and set up their base ahead of Group G fixtures in the United States.
Iran confirm travel plan after visa complications
Photo by Wu Zhizhao/VCG via Getty Images
The national team's official social media account announced that they will depart Antalya at 15:20 local time on Saturday, June 6, arriving in Tijuana early the following day.
Iran have been training in Turkey as part of their final preparations for the tournament.
The main issue had been obtaining visas for both Mexico and the United States, though federation chief Mehdi Taj had predicted a swift resolution.
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"We will obtain a Mexican visa Tuesday (June 2) or the day after, and then a U.S. visa will be issued quickly," Taj told Iranian TV at the time.
With the latest update, it appears those hurdles have now been cleared in time for Iran's scheduled transatlantic move.
Tijuana switch changes Iran's World Cup build-up
Initially, Iran had been planning to base themselves in Tucson, Arizona, but that camp has since been relocated to Tijuana, Mexico.
FIFA approved the switch, with both visa and security considerations forming part of the backdrop to the decision.
The change is more than just a shift in venue. It alters the practical shape of Iran's build-up to three group-stage matches held in two U.S. cities.
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Tijuana offers a base near the border, allowing access into the United States for matches in Los Angeles and Seattle.
While the fixture list remains unchanged, the path there has been less straightforward than usual for a World Cup participant.
United States scrutiny adds another layer before Group G fixtures
The visa situation has also brought added security scrutiny from U.S. authorities.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Iranian delegation would be closely monitored ahead of the tournament.
"What we're not going to allow is for them to embed in their delegation a bunch of people that we know have nothing to do with athletics and have ties to the IRGC or things of that nature, so we were going to watch that very closely," Rubio said during a Senate hearing.
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That places Iran's arrival under a level of attention beyond the typical logistical challenges of a World Cup camp.
Iran's Group G campaign begins against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, followed by matches against Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21 and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
With permits now in hand, Iran appear to have a clear route into the tournament, although their build-up has been shaped heavily by off-field logistics as well as football preparation.
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