Iran football team trains in Mexico as World Cup campaign begins
Key takeaways
- Issued on: 12/06/2026 - 02:39Modified: 12/06/2026 - 02:43
- By: FRANCE 24 Iranian football players Saeid Ezatolahi (6), Payam (12) Niazmand, Hossein Kanani (13) and Ramin Rezaeian (23) training for the World Cup in Mexico on June 11, 2026.
- After having moved their training camp to Tijuana from the planned base in Arizona, the squad has said very little since arriving for the tournament last Sunday.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Iran's national football team held its first open training session in Mexico on Thursday, offering a glimpse of a squad preparing for the World Cup under the shadow of conflict with the US, as President Donald Trump claimed a breakthrough in efforts to end the war.
Issued on: 12/06/2026 - 02:39Modified: 12/06/2026 - 02:43
By: FRANCE 24 Iranian football players Saeid Ezatolahi (6), Payam (12) Niazmand, Hossein Kanani (13) and Ramin Rezaeian (23) training for the World Cup in Mexico on June 11, 2026. © Guillermo Arias, AFP Iran's footballers took to the training pitch in front of journalists Thursday at their base camp in Mexico, giving the world its first glimpse of a team whose participation in the World Cup has been overshadowed by war with the United States.