Iran Decides on Tuscon, Arizona, Base Camp for 2026 FIFA World Cup

The Iranian Men’s National Soccer Team will head to Kino Sports Complex in Tuscon, Arizona, for its official team base camp training site for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

However, there is no news yet on where the team plans to stay during the tournament, although this is expected to be announced in due course.

Home to U.S. third-division club FC Tucson, Kino Sports Complex will give the team access to the main stadium field, a secondary practice field called “Field One” and clubhouse facilities including a training room, weight room, locker rooms and office spaces. The multiple-use sports complex’s main ballpark was previously used by The Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox baseball teams.

The site itself was passed up as a potential base camp during last year’s expanded FIFA Club World Cup but has now been approved according to FIFA standards.

Meanwhile, FC Tucson is set to begin its season on May 23 so its training sessions and match schedule will need to be adjusted in order to accommodate the Iranian national team.

“Over many years, FC Tucson has played a meaningful role in supporting and promoting Kino Sports Complex as a world-class facility capable of hosting elite-level professional and international soccer environments,” read a club statement. “As the long-standing anchor tenant at Kino Sports North Complex, FC Tucson played a key role in promoting and positioning the venue as a host site.”

It will be the Islamic Republic of Iran’s third consecutive FIFA World Cup participation, and its seventh in total, but it has yet to progress beyond the group stages of soccer’s pinnacle national team competition.
Iran will play in Group G at this summer’s World Cup, beginning their group stage campaign against New Zealand in Inglewood, California, on June 15. After that, they will remain in Inglewood to play Belgium on June 21, before their deciding game against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

Iranian team representatives previously threatened to boycott the Final Draw in December after members of their team were denied visas, but they eventually reversed their decision. Iran, however, is one of at least 75 countries whose citizens are restricted or banned from entering the United States due to a directive issued by President Donald Trump, which currently effectively prevents Iranian fans from attending the tournament.

President Trump’s immigration crackdown has led to the suspension of the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of at least 15 World Cup qualified nations, including Algeria, Brazil, Cape Verde, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, Haiti, Iran, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Uruguay and Uzbekistan, who may not be able to attend.

FIFA World Cup Preparations

Read the full list of confirmed base camps so far here.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which has been expanded to 48 teams, will begin with Mexico vs. South Africa on June 11 in Mexico City, with the final being held on July 19 in New York New Jersey.