President Sheinbaum allows Iran team to stay in Mexico during World Cup after US refusal

Mexico’s government agreed to let Iran’s national football team remain in Mexico throughout the World Cup. FIFA approached Mexico after the United States said it did not want Iran’s squad to stay in the country during the tournament, even though Iran played all three group matches there. Mexico’s president said there was no reason to deny the team the possibility of staying in Mexico. Iran’s football federation head said the team’s base would move from Arizona to Tijuana to avoid visa complications and enable direct travel to Mexico on Iran Air flights. Iran’s World Cup matches begin in Los Angeles against New Zealand, then Belgium, followed by Egypt in Seattle.

"Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, said on Monday her government agreed to allow the Iranian national football team to stay in Mexico during the World Cup, adding that the United States did not want to host the team. Sheinbaum said football's governing body Fifa approached her government after the US said it did not want Iran's squad to stay in the country throughout the tournament, despite Iran playing all three of its group matches there. We have no reason to deny them the possibility of staying in Mexico, Sheinbaum said during her daily press conference."

"Mehdi Taj, head of Iran's football federation, said on Saturday the team's base would be moved from Arizona to the Mexican border city of Tijuana during the tournament. Taj added that the move would help avoid visa-related complications and that the squad would be able to travel directly to Mexico aboard Iran Air flights. The Iranian team's participation in the 11 June- 19 July tournament had been in question since the US and Israel attacked Iran in late February."

"Iran will play its first two Group G matches in Los Angeles against New Zealand on 15 June and Belgium on 21 June, before facing Egypt in Seattle on 26 June. The bombing killed thousands of people in Iran before a tenuous ceasefire was agreed in early April amid protracted peace talks on Iran's closure of the vital straits of Hormuz waterway and the fate of its nuclear ambitions."

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