World Cup 2026: Mexico agrees to host Iran at World Cup

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum agreed to allow Iran to station in the country during the World Cup, claiming that the United States did not want to host them.

Sheinbaum said FIFA contacted his government after the United States made it clear that it did not want the Iranian team to remain in the country throughout the tournament.

“We have no reason to rule out the possibility of them remaining in Mexico,” Sheinbaum said.

“The USA does not want the Iranian team to stay overnight, but they will play three games there.

“They asked us: ‘Can they stay one night in Mexico?’ So we said: ‘Yes, no problem. “We have no problems.”

Iran was originally given Tucson, Arizona, as their World Cup base, and all three of their matches were to be played in the United States.

However, the ongoing war in the Middle East and related security concerns have led to uncertainty about their participation.

The World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, with Iran scheduled to play New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21 (both in Los Angeles) and Egypt on June 26 in Seattle.

Iran is currently preparing for the tournament in Antalya in southern Türkiye.

The BBC has contacted the White House and FIFA for comment.