Iran’s football federation president Mehdi Taj says FIFA has approved switching the World Cup training base from the United States to Mexico. Iran would be based in Tijuana, a border city near the Pacific Ocean. The change is described as not yet confirmed by FIFA, but Taj links approval to requests and meetings with FIFA officials in Istanbul and a webinar meeting in Tehran with FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom. Iran previously received Tucson, Arizona as its base, but security concerns related to the Middle East war created uncertainty. Tijuana is said to be closer to match locations in Los Angeles, reducing travel time compared with Tucson. Iran is preparing in Antalya, Turkey, and has faced visa delays for the tournament.
"The president of the Iranian FA says Fifa has approved the country's World Cup training base being switched from the United States to Mexico. Mehdi Taj said Iran will now be based in the Mexican border city of Tijuana, although the change has yet to be confirmed by Fifa. Iran were given Tucson, Arizona as their World Cup base but the ongoing war in the Middle East and related security concerns has led to uncertainty around their participation."
""All team base camps for the countries participating in the World Cup must be approved by Fifa," Taj said. "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 on Friday in Tehran with the respected Fifa secretary general [Swede Mattias Grafstrom], our request to change the team's base from the United States to Mexico was approved.""
""We will be based in the Tijuana camp, which is near the Pacific Ocean and on the border between Mexico and the United States." He added that Tijuana was closer to the cities where Iran will play than the camp in Arizona. "The distance for us in the two games that we have in LA will be a 55-minute flight, which is a lot less compared to Tucson," he said."
"Iran are currently preparing for the tournment in Antalya, southern Turkey. BBC Sport has approached Fifa for comment. Earlier this month, Taj said that Iran players were still waiting to be issued with visas for the tournament, which begins on 11 June. The Iranian FA (FFIRI) has presented Fifa with a list of 10 conditions for their participation at the World Cup, including allowing players, coaches and officials who have completed military service with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps"
Read at www.bbc.com
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