A crowd of fans gathered Saturday morning outside the Marriott Hotel in Tijuana to wave goodbye to Iran’s national soccer team as the squad boarded a bus for the airport. The team headed to Los Angeles for its second FIFA World Cup 2026 group-stage match, leaving behind a city that has embraced its role as an official World Cup base camp for the first time.
Players stopped to sign Panini sticker albums, pose for photos, and thank fans before departing under a security convoy of Tijuana Municipal Police, Mexico’s National Guard, and a Cruz Roja (Red Cross) ambulance. The scene capped a multiday stay that turned a Zona Río business hotel into an unlikely gathering spot for soccer pilgrims from both sides of the border.
Tijuana Hosts World Cup Teams for the First Time in 2026
The 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, spans 48 teams and 16 venues across three countries. While Tijuana is not a match venue, FIFA designated it as an official base camp city. That means visiting national teams can train and stay in Tijuana between games played at nearby stadiums, including SoFi Stadium and the Rose Bowl in greater Los Angeles.
Iran’s team chose the Marriott in the Zona Río district as its Tijuana headquarters. Zona Río sits just minutes from the San Ysidro border crossing, making the location practical for a squad with matches scheduled in Southern California. Iran opened its tournament with a Group F match and departed Saturday for its second game.
Tijuana is not the only Baja California city involved. The state government and local tourism boards have promoted the region as a gateway for World Cup visitors crossing from San Diego. Tens of thousands of fans holding match tickets in Los Angeles or other U.S. West Coast venues are expected to pass through the border corridor during the tournament, which runs through July 19.
The base camp designation also brought FIFA security protocols to Tijuana’s streets. Saturday’s escort included Municipal Police and National Guard units, a level of coordination more common in Mexico City or Guadalajara than in border cities. For the duration of the tournament, Tijuana police have maintained a visible presence around team hotels and training facilities.
Local and Visiting Fans Camped Out at Zona Río Hotel
Among the fans at Saturday’s sendoff was Ali, an Iranian national who traveled from Los Angeles with his son to follow Team Melli during the tournament. “We hope for the best, that they win,” Ali said. “The last match they played was one of the most exciting. Everyone says so, and hopefully we see another good and exciting match.”
Iván Hernández, a Tijuana resident, arrived at the hotel by 7 a.m. to catch the team before departure. “We’ve been coming for days and already got two signatures,” Hernández said. “It’s a World Cup team right here in our city, and we feel lucky. I hope the whole city experiences it this way, because not every city gets the chance to host a World Cup national team.”
The hotel gatherings have become a small but recurring attraction. Fans began showing up at the Marriott shortly after Iran’s arrival, hoping for glimpses of players during morning departures for training sessions. Social media posts from local accounts tracked the team’s movements, drawing additional visitors each day.
This kind of informal fan culture around team hotels is common at World Cups in Europe and South America. But it is new for Tijuana, where professional soccer revolves around Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles, the Liga MX team that plays at Estadio Caliente in the Mesa de Otay district. Estadio Caliente holds roughly 33,333 fans and serves as a potential training venue for visiting World Cup squads, though FIFA has not publicly confirmed which teams are using it.
Border Crossing Delays and Restaurant Traffic Expected Through July
Tijuana’s tourism office has projected increased foot traffic at restaurants, hotels, and shops in Zona Río and Avenida Revolución through mid-July. Fans attending matches in Los Angeles face a 120-mile drive from the border, but many are combining game days with stays in Tijuana, where hotel rates run significantly lower than in L.A.
Wait times at the San Ysidro port of entry, already among the busiest land crossings in the world with roughly 70,000 northbound crossings daily, could spike on match days at SoFi Stadium. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency has not announced extended hours for the tournament, so travelers heading north for games should plan for two to three hours of wait time during peak afternoon and evening periods.
Iran’s next group-stage match takes place in Los Angeles. If the team advances, its Tijuana base camp stay could extend into the knockout rounds later in July. The tournament’s final is scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. This story was first reported by La Jornada Baja California.