2026 World Cup: Iran prepares to depart Mexico after warm welcome in Tijuana

Iran's national football team is set to end its 24-day stay in Mexico on Tuesday, departing Tijuana later in the day after an emotional World Cup campaign in which the city emerged as an unlikely symbol of solidarity and hospitality for Team Melli.

The Iranian squad is scheduled to leave Tijuana at 9:00 a.m. local time aboard a charter flight to Antalya before continuing to Tehran, bringing to a close a stay that forged an unexpected bond between the team and the people of the Mexican border city.

Iran had used Tijuana as its World Cup base after relocating from Arizona because of visa complications and travel restrictions linked to heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington.

Throughout the tournament, the team was required to shuttle between Mexico and the United States for its group-stage matches, an arrangement Iranian officials and players repeatedly criticized as disruptive to their preparations.

Despite those logistical challenges, the players found unwavering support across the border.

From the team's arrival in Tijuana, hundreds of local residents gathered outside its hotel before and after every match, waiting for autographs, photographs and brief interactions with the players.

By the end of Iran's stay, supporters wearing caps reading "Iran, brother, you're Mexican now" lined up outside the hotel to bid farewell to the squad, demonstrating the unique connection that had developed over three weeks.

The warm reception stood in sharp contrast to Iran's painful exit from the tournament.

Amir Ghalenoei's side remained unbeaten after drawing with New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt but narrowly missed out on a historic first appearance in the knockout stage. Their hopes were first dashed by a stoppage-time VAR decision that ruled out Shoja Khalilzadeh's apparent winner against Egypt before Austria's last-gasp equalizer against Algeria pushed Iran out of the eight best third-placed teams.

Before leaving Mexico, Iran's football federation and diplomatic representatives publicly thanked the country's people for their hospitality, describing Tijuana as a place where the team felt at home despite the difficult circumstances surrounding its campaign.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also praised the public's reception of the Iranian team, stressing that it reflected the country's culture rather than politics.

"The values of the Mexican people come from the indigenous cultures of this land," Sheinbaum said, adding that they prioritize "community, solidarity and the importance of society over individualism."

She emphasized that the welcome extended to Iran was "entirely a gesture of the people" and was rooted in Mexico's longstanding tradition of hospitality toward foreign guests, rather than political relations between governments.

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