PHOENIX (AP) — The president of Iran's football governing body announced Saturday that the nation's World Cup training base has been moved to Mexico from the United States after receiving approval from FIFA.
Mehdi Taj, president of the Iran Football Federation, made the decision known in a statement issued through the federation's media relations office. FIFA has yet to confirm the move publicly.
Iran had been scheduled to train in Tucson, Arizona, but the shift became possible due to uncertainty surrounding the war in the Middle East and growing security concerns. Officials at Tucson's Kino Sports Complex declined to comment.
The federation confirmed the team will now be based in Tijuana, Mexico, just south of San Diego.
"All team base camps for the countries participating in the World Cup must be approved by FIFA," Taj said in his statement. "Fortunately, following the requests we submitted and the meetings we held with FIFA and World Cup officials in Istanbul, as well as the webinar meeting we had yesterday in Tehran with the respected FIFA secretary general, our request to change the team's base from the United States to Mexico was approved."
Group G Match Schedule:
- June 15 vs New Zealand — Inglewood, California
- June 21 vs Belgium — Inglewood, California
- June 26 vs Egypt — Seattle
The federation noted that Tijuana's relatively close proximity to Inglewood, a suburb of Los Angeles, will benefit the team. The new location "includes all training facilities, gym, private restaurant and everything else the team needs."
Visa Issues Resolved — The federation said moving the base camp will resolve potential visa complications since the team will enter the U.S. through Mexico. Taj added that the team "may even be able to travel to and from Mexico using Iran Air flights."
Team Melli is appearing in its fourth straight World Cup and seventh overall, having never advanced past the first round.
This year's World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 and will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
AP World Cup coverage: David Brandt, The Associated Press