Iran trains in Tijuana amid heavy security and political unrest
Yahoo Sports • 2 min read • Latest: Jun 11, 2026, 8:49 PM
Last updated Jun 11, 2026
Iran's national soccer team is training in Tijuana, Mexico, under tight security due to political tensions. Open-top trucks with armed guards patrol the vicinity of Estadio Caliente, where the team has set up its base amid concerns stemming from military actions involving the U.S. and Israel. Originally, the team planned to stay in Tucson, Arizona, but had to relocate quickly. Local support has been strong, with Mexican fans welcoming the players. The squad recently held a regeneration session after a 3-0 win over Club Tijuana's Under-21 team. They are scheduled to move to Los Angeles for a press conference soon.
- •Iran trains at Estadio Caliente in Tijuana under armed guard.
- •Open-top trucks patrolling the area enhance security for the team.
- •The team relocated from Tucson due to escalating political instability.
- •Iran recently won 3-0 against Club Tijuana's Under-21 team.
- •Players will travel to Los Angeles for a FIFA press conference.
- 8:49 PMYahoo Sports — Iran’s World Cup camp in Tijuana unfolds under armed guard and political shadow
- 8:49 PMThe Guardian Sport — Iran’s World Cup camp in Tijuana unfolds under armed guard and political shadow
"An improvised base in Mexico has become Team Melli’s unlikely World Cup home as security fears, visa disputes and political divisions shape their tournament Open-top trucks patrolled the surrounding roads outside the Estadio Caliente today, mounted by men in helmets and masks and wielding machine guns. They pass by the main entrance every few hours, guarding the massive city block, otherwise chocked with cars and smog, that the Iran national team has made its temporary, and largely improvised, home for this World Cup. This has become business as usual here in northwest Mexico, at an arena that most teams in the domestic league hate to visit thanks to its distance from the country’s other footballing hubs and its brutal artificial turf playing surface. Continue reading...
"An improvised base in Mexico has become Team Melli’s unlikely World Cup home as security fears, visa disputes and political divisions shape their tournament
Sources
External links- Yahoo SportsJun 11, 2026, 8:49 PMIran’s World Cup camp in Tijuana unfolds under armed guard and political shadow
An improvised base in Mexico has become Team Melli’s unlikely World Cup home as security fears, visa disputes and political divisions shape their tournament
- The Guardian SportJun 11, 2026, 8:49 PMIran’s World Cup camp in Tijuana unfolds under armed guard and political shadow
An improvised base in Mexico has become Team Melli’s unlikely World Cup home as security fears, visa disputes and political divisions shape their tournament Open-top trucks patrolled the surrounding roads outside the Estadio Caliente today, mounted by men in helmets and masks and wielding machine guns. They pass by the main entrance every few hours, guarding the massive city block, otherwise chocked with cars and smog, that the Iran national team has made its temporary, and largely improvised, home for this World Cup. This has become business as usual here in northwest Mexico, at an arena that most teams in the domestic league hate to visit thanks to its distance from the country’s other footballing hubs and its brutal artificial turf playing surface. Continue reading...
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