Mexico has agreed to serve as Iran's base camp during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, after the United States made clear it was unwilling to house the Iranian squad on its soil during the tournament.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed her government had been approached by FIFA with the request, and she offered a straightforward response.

"We have no reason to deny them the possibility of staying in Mexico. The United States does not want the Iranian team to stay overnight, but they are going to play three matches there. So they asked us: 'Can they stay overnight in Mexico?' And we said: 'Yes, no problem. We have no problem.'"

Iran had originally been assigned Tucson, Arizona as their base, with all three group-stage matches scheduled to take place in the US. The arrangement has since unravelled amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East and mounting security concerns surrounding their participation.

Iran's fixtures and visa concerns

Iran are scheduled to face New Zealand on 15 June and Belgium on 21 June — both in Los Angeles — before meeting Egypt in Seattle on 26 June. The squad are currently in Antalya, southern Turkey, as part of their pre-tournament preparations.

Iran's sports minister Ahmad Donyamali confirmed that FIFA's president has provided assurances that the squad will be granted visas to compete in the US this summer.

"The FIFA president promised us that all our players would receive visas. There is no reason why our players should not receive visas," Donyamali said.

The Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) had submitted a list of 10 conditions to FIFA for their participation, among them a demand that players, coaches, and officials who have completed military service with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) be permitted to obtain visas.

IRGC links complicate entry

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Iran's players would be welcome at the tournament, while cautioning that individuals with ties to the IRGC could still face entry restrictions.

The issue has already created complications at the border. FFIRI president Mehdi Taj was among a number of federation officials turned away at the Canadian border ahead of FIFA's annual congress in Vancouver in April. Canada's immigration minister told parliament that Taj's visa had been cancelled due to his links to the IRGC.

Some members of Iran's squad travelled to the US embassy in Ankara on Thursday to submit their visa applications ahead of the World Cup. The BBC said it had contacted the White House for comment. The FIFA World Cup 2026 is co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.