Iran's national football team has established an improvised training camp in Tijuana, Mexico, for the 2026 World Cup, operating under heavy armed guard and amid significant political pressure. The team, known as Team Melli, originally planned to stay in Tucson, Arizona, but those plans were scrapped following US and Israeli attacks on Iran that killed the country's head of state and several top leaders.
Security Measures in Tijuana
Open-top trucks patrolling the roads around Estadio Caliente are manned by helmeted, masked individuals wielding machine guns. They pass the main entrance every few hours, guarding the massive city block that has become the team's temporary home. Access to the training facility is strictly controlled, with credentials checked multiple times. The political situation demands utmost security, leading to machine guns, tight security, and a lack of information about training times and media availability.
Logistical Challenges
Club Tijuana staff were only informed of the team's move two weeks ago via a call with FIFA. Since then, they have worked 18-hour days to prepare the training field, which has only one natural grass pitch. The team is staying at a nearby hotel, but security concerns dominate. Fifteen members of the support staff, including the entire media operations department, have been denied visas, leaving the kit man potentially responsible for managing press conferences after the World Cup opener against New Zealand.
Local Support and Political Divisions
Mexican fans have welcomed the Iranian team with open arms. A large banner in Farsi reads, “Iranian cheetahs, welcome to Tijuana.” Fans gather outside the team's hotel, cheering and requesting autographs. Some expressed shame over US policies, with one telling AFP, “It's wrong... [the United States] treat everyone like terrorists.” However, the team faces divisions among Iranian supporters. The regime and its supporters scrutinize every statement, while diaspora opponents criticize the team for representing oppression. Players are in a no-win situation, navigating political quicksand where silence is survival.
Preparations and Past Context
The team recently played a friendly against Club Tijuana's Under-21 team, winning 3-0, after a planned match against Grenada was canceled. In 2022, Iran played in Qatar amid protests over the death of Mahsa Amini. Iranian fans shouted “Woman, Life, Freedom” during matches, but the crowd later shifted, reportedly policed by IRGC operatives. This time, visa denials to many Iranian officials make similar protests unlikely. The team will play two group games in Los Angeles, home to a large Iranian diaspora with divided loyalties.
FIFA maintains that the team's appearance is purely about football, but the political undercurrents are impossible to ignore. The players remain focused on the tournament, seeking unity in a nation passionate about the sport.
