Image: Wikimedia Commons. Claudia Sheinbaum during a morning press conference.- Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico has no reason to deny Iran’s national team the possibility of staying in Mexico during the World Cup.
- The arrangement concerns Iran’s base camp/overnight stay, reportedly in Tijuana — not moving Iran’s matches from U.S. venues.
- The U.S. reportedly declined to host the team overnight amid visa, security and political tensions with Iran.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says Mexico is willing to host Iran’s national football team during the World Cup after the United States declined to host the team overnight, according to multiple reports.
The claim is broadly accurate, but one detail matters: this is about Iran’s base camp and lodging, not Mexico taking over Iran’s scheduled World Cup matches.
What Sheinbaum said
At her morning press conference, Sheinbaum said Mexico had “no reason” to deny Iran the possibility of staying in the country. Reports quote her saying that the United States did not want Iran staying overnight in the U.S., and that Mexico answered that Iran could stay in Mexico “with no problem.”
Tijuana is reportedly being considered as the base, allowing Iran to train and stay in Mexico while traveling across the border for matches in the United States.
Base camp, not match relocation
The clearest reading is that Mexico would host the Iranian team’s camp: lodging, training, and overnight logistics. Iran’s group-stage matches remain scheduled in U.S. venues.
That distinction is important because earlier reporting around the tournament included speculation about whether matches themselves could be moved. This latest arrangement is more limited: a logistical workaround for where the team sleeps and trains during the tournament.
Image: Wikimedia Commons. Iran national football team, used as World Cup team context.Why the U.S. issue matters
The World Cup is co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, but Iran’s participation comes amid major U.S.-Iran tensions, visa complications and security concerns. ESPN reported that Iran’s federation said FIFA had approved moving the team base from a planned U.S. location to Tijuana.
Iran’s players would still need to enter the United States for matches. The base-camp move appears designed to reduce the amount of time the team spends overnight in the U.S. while keeping the tournament schedule intact.
What is still unclear
Reports describe ongoing coordination involving FIFA, Mexican officials and Iranian authorities. The final operational details — where exactly the team stays, how border travel works, and what visa procedures apply for match days — may still evolve before the tournament.
NoDechev rating: mostly confirmed, with context. Mexico has agreed in principle to host Iran’s World Cup base/overnight stay, but this does not mean Iran’s matches are being moved from the U.S.
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Mexico says it can host Iran’s national football team during the World Cup after the U.S. declined to host the team overnight. Key context: this is about Iran’s base camp/lodging, likely in Tijuana — not moving Iran’s scheduled matches out of U.S. venues.
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