Iran’s national football team has set up an improvised World Cup base in Tijuana, Mexico, after security concerns forced a last-minute relocation from their original camp in Tucson, Arizona. The move followed US and Israeli attacks on Iran that killed the country’s head of state and top leaders. The team now trains at Estadio Caliente, surrounded by armed guards in helmets and masks patrolling in open-top trucks.
Club Tijuana staff were only informed of the change two weeks ago by FIFA and have worked 18-hour days to prepare the facility, which has only one natural grass pitch. Security is extremely tight, with credentials checked multiple times and training times kept secret. The political situation has necessitated machine-gun patrols and strict access controls.
Despite the tensions, Mexican fans have warmly welcomed the Iranian team. A banner reading “Iranian cheetahs, welcome to Tijuana” in Farsi hangs at the training ground, and supporters gather outside the team’s hotel to cheer and request autographs. One fan told AFP: “I’m ashamed of what the United States is doing.” Another said: “They treat everyone like terrorists.”
The team will travel to Los Angeles for a FIFA-mandated press conference on Sunday without 15 support staff, including the entire media operations department. A federation official speculated that the kit man might have to run the press conference. Players are not speaking to the media, caught between potential criticism from Iran’s regime and its opponents in the diaspora.
Iran recently beat Club Tijuana’s under-21 team 3-0 in a friendly, their only preparation match after a planned game against Grenada was canceled. The team is seeking to avoid political pitfalls while focusing on their World Cup opener against New Zealand.
