5JUN

Mexico confirms seven camps for visiting nations

1 min read

08:45UTC

The Mexican Football Federation confirmed seven World Cup base camps for visiting nations, with Colombia and South Korea in Guadalajara and Iran in Tijuana.

← Back to 6 Days to Go: Iran flies on a visa it doesn't have Jump to analysis ↓

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Key takeaway

Seven confirmed camps signal Mexico's pre-tournament logistics are settled, Iran's Tijuana slot included.

The Mexican Football Federation confirmed seven World Cup base camps for visiting nations in a communique relayed by Telemundo, with Colombia and South Korea training in Guadalajara and Iran in Tijuana ¹. A base camp is the training and recovery centre a squad works from between matches, distinct from the stadiums where it plays, and FIFA approves each one before a federation can commit to it.

The announcement formalises what individual approvals had already signalled. Iran's slot carries the back story, the camp it switched to from the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson after FIFA cleared the move on 26 May . Bundling all seven into one federation statement is the clearest sign yet that the host countries' pre-tournament machinery is in place, the camps assigned and the squads routed, weeks before the football begins.

Deep Analysis

In plain English

In a World Cup with 48 teams spread across three countries, each national team needs a training base, somewhere to stay, train and recover between matches. Mexico is co-hosting the tournament and has confirmed seven such bases. Iran's base in Tijuana is the most politically charged, given the visa dispute with the United States. Colombia and South Korea are in Guadalajara, Mexico's second-largest city and a host city in its own right. Basing a squad in Mexico rather than the US helps teams with visa complications, and for Latin American sides it puts the base somewhere geographically and culturally closer than a US city would be.

What could happen next?

Consequence
Mexico's seven-camp announcement is the operational proof that the co-host logistics are essentially complete, the last significant piece to fall into place before the opening ceremony on 11 June.

Sources:Al Jazeera·Office of the New York Attorney General·NL Times / The Athletic

Mentions:Spain national football team →South Korea →FIFA →Tucson →Iran →World Cup →Kino Sports Complex →Mexico →United States →Colombia →Guadalajara →Tijuana →

First Reported In

Update #12 · 13 Days to Go: Squads land, subpoenas follow

Al Jazeera· 29 May 2026

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Causes and effects

Caused by

MetLife stitching machine arrives; Tahoma 31 ships from Carolina

The mobile stitching machine arrived at MetLife week of 12 May to install the Tahoma 31 surface; CBS Sports coverage confirmed the Carolina-farm sourcing.

Occurred 12 May 2026

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Six hundred rolls of grass and a Dutch grow light

MetLife's grass installation began on 6 May as reported in ID:3198; the CBS Sports story confirms the Carolina farm and failure of the NJ supply.

Occurred 6 May 2026

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This Event

Mexico confirms seven camps for visiting nations

The single communique bundles scattered approvals into proof the pre-tournament logistics are settled.

Led to

Iran clears Mexico, US visas still held

Mexico confirming Iran's Tijuana base camp made each US match-day a fresh visa crossing, contextualising why the 10 June arrival window is the binding clock.

Occurred 2 Jun 2026

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Different Perspectives

France (FFF)

Manager Didier Deschamps confirmed William Saliba will play, reversing the 'very doubtful' briefing from earlier in the week and deferring any surgery until after the tournament. France recovers its first-choice central defender for the group stage at a point when rivals were adjusting their tactical assessments.

Canada Soccer

Canada must submit its Flores replacement to FIFA before the 11 June 3pm ET deadline; Austin FC's Jayden Nelson is the favoured choice after Flores ruptured his ACL. Canada's Toronto opening ceremony on 12 June will feature Palestinian singer Elyanna, a booking that sets a political tone for the co-host's public face at the tournament.

Mexico (co-host)

Mexico certified Iranian visas and confirmed the Tijuana base camp on 3 June, acting as operational host for a team the northern co-host has not cleared. Guadalajara's Estadio Banorte still has no FIFA clearance after concrete fell from seats in Liga MX matches.

FIFA

FIFA's Ethics Committee has taken no action on the Infantino complaint in six months, and FIFA has answered neither the NY/NJ subpoena nor the EU Article 102 filing. It approved Iran's Tijuana base camp but cannot issue a US visa; Infantino's April guarantee that Iran 'will be at the World Cup' was a commitment against authority he does not hold.

Norwegian Football Federation

NFF president Lise Klaveness submitted a letter of support for FairSquare's Article 15 complaint before 2 June, writing 'we are sending this letter alone' in a deliberate signal that the move was unilateral rather than coordinated. Norway's backing gives other federations a template for post-tournament solidarity without requiring them to act before kickoff.

US State Department

Rubio restated on 3 June that IRGC-linked individuals will not embed in the delegation; waiver authority sits with the Secretary himself, not consulates, which is why Taremi's 2010-2012 service can hold the whole squad without a formal denial. The same government withholding entry from Iran is spending $1.47bn to protect the tournament.