FIFA moves Iran's World Cup base from US to Mexico, clearing team's path to tournament

FIFA has approved Iran's request to relocate their World Cup base camp from the United States to Mexico. The decision comes less than three weeks before the 2025 FIFA World Cup kicks off, resolving concerns about Iran's participation following the conflict that broke out in late February.

FIFA has granted Iran's request to move their base of operations from the United States to Mexico ahead of the 2025 FIFA World Cup, removing what appeared to be the last major obstacle to the Iranian national team's participation in the tournament.

The issue arose following the outbreak of hostilities involving Iran in late February, which prompted serious questions about whether the Iranian squad would be able to travel to and operate within the United States — one of the three host nations alongside Canada and Mexico. The geopolitical tensions made a US-based training camp a complicated proposition for the Iranian delegation.

With the World Cup set to begin in less than three weeks, FIFA's decision to accommodate Iran's relocation request provides a significant measure of reassurance. By basing themselves in Mexico instead, Iran's football programme can now proceed with their tournament preparations without the diplomatic and logistical complications that a US presence would have entailed.

The 2025 FIFA World Cup is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, giving FIFA the flexibility to accommodate such requests across multiple venues and base camp locations. Iran's participation in the tournament now appears to be on solid ground following the governing body's ruling.