Iran’s national football team is set to arrive in Mexico early Sunday as preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup enter the final stages.
According to a statement released by the team on Wednesday, Team Melli will depart their training camp in Antalya, Turkey, on Saturday and travel to Tijuana, Mexico, where they will be based throughout the tournament.
The squad is scheduled to leave Antalya at 15:20 local time (1220 GMT) on June 6 and arrive in Tijuana at approximately 1:30 a.m. local time (0730 GMT) on June 7.
Iran have been holding a training camp in the southern Turkish resort city since May 18 as they fine-tune preparations for the World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
Despite their imminent departure, Iranian players have been awaiting approval of travel visas. Earlier this week, Iran Football Federation president Mehdi Taj expressed confidence that the squad would receive Mexican visas before quickly obtaining the necessary documents to enter the United States.
Iran have been drawn into Group G alongside New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt. Their World Cup campaign begins against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15 before facing Belgium on June 21. The group stage concludes with a clash against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
The ongoing political tensions between Iran and the United States have complicated travel arrangements for the team. Following security and visa concerns, Iran recently shifted their World Cup base from Tucson, Arizona, to the Mexican border city of Tijuana.
Before heading to North America, Team Melli will play one final warm-up match against Mali in Antalya on Thursday. The friendly follows a positive result in their previous preparation game, where they secured a 3-1 victory over Gambia on May 29.
Iran will be aiming to make a strong impression at the tournament as they seek to advance beyond the group stage on football’s biggest stage.
