Military barracks in Tijuana… unprecedented security measures to protect the Iranian national team at the World Cup | sports

A few days before the start of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, the Iranian national team’s camp in the Mexican city of Tijuana turned into one of the most fortified camps of the participating teams in terms of security.

The Iranian Fars News Agency, citing Mexican media, reported that the authorities deployed about 300 members of the Mexican army and National Guard in the vicinity of the Iranian team’s residence, in the largest security deployment surrounding one of the camps of the teams participating in the tournament.

The Mexican authorities say that tightening security measures aims to ensure the safety of the Iranian national team mission and prevent any acts of sabotage or potential incidents that may target the camp, especially in light of the current regional and international tensions.

These measures come at a time when the security file has become one of the most prominent challenges related to the World Cup, after incidents witnessed in areas close to some of the teams’ headquarters, including gunfire near the English team’s camp, and a fire that broke out near the Swiss team’s residence.

The Iranian national team was initially planning to set up its camp in the US state of Arizona, before deciding to settle in the city of Tijuana, located on the Mexican-American border, due to the US embargo and the visa problem. The team will depend on traveling to the United States to play its matches in the tournament and then returning to its residence in Mexico after each match.

The Iranian national team is competing in the World Cup finals for the seventh time in its history, after previously participating in the 1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018 and 2022 editions, but it has not yet succeeded in getting beyond the first round.

The draw for the 2026 World Cup placed Iran in Group Seven, alongside Egypt, Belgium and New Zealand. The Iranian national team will begin its campaign against New Zealand, before meeting Belgium, and then conclude the first round competitions with an expected confrontation against Egypt.