Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that Mexico will host Iran's soccer team during the FIFA World Cup. She stated that U.S. officials expressed reluctance to host the Iranian team due to ongoing tensions between the two countries. This announcement was made during a news conference on Monday, as reported by Reuters.
Sheinbaum mentioned that FIFA officials approached her after the U.S. indicated it did not want to accommodate the Iranian team during the tournament, which is set to take place next month. "We have no reason to deny them the possibility of staying in Mexico," Sheinbaum said.
Iranian team officials recently confirmed plans to relocate their World Cup training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, having received FIFA's permission for this move. Iran is scheduled to play all three of its group-stage matches in the U.S., with the first match against New Zealand on June 15 in Inglewood, California.
Despite the strained relations between the U.S. and Iran, FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed in April that Iran would participate in the tournament, including matches in the U.S. Additionally, FIFA announced a ban on the pre-Islamic Revolution flag of Iran at World Cup matches, a flag often used by Iranian expatriates as a symbol of opposition to the current government.
The FIFA World Cup is set to commence on June 11, with the opening match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City, and will run for a month across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, concluding with the final match on July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.