Body Found in Car Near Iran's World Cup Training Camp in Tijuana

A disturbing incident unfolded near Iran’s World Cup training base in Tijuana, Mexico, where police found a body in an advanced state of decomposition inside an abandoned car in a supermarket parking lot opposite Estadio Caliente. The Toyota sedan, with California plates, was reportedly parked in the lot near the team’s training complex and about a one-minute drive from the secure hotel housing the Iranian delegation.

According to the Tijuana prosecutor’s office, officers on patrol were drawn to the vehicle by a strong odor. After opening it, they discovered a person wrapped in a black bag, with signs of violence. Local authorities said the car may have been there since Wednesday. Forensic investigators in protective suits collected evidence and sent the body for identification. Police opened a murder investigation, but stressed there is currently no evidence that Iran’s team or anyone in its delegation was targeted.

The incident comes amid heightened security around Iran’s squad, which relocated its training camp from Arizona to Mexico because of political and security tensions with Washington. Iran had originally been scheduled to train in Tucson, but that plan was canceled and the team moved to Tijuana instead. Since arriving, the squad has been operating under tight protection, with heavily armed Mexican National Guard officers escorting team buses between the hotel and the training ground.

Tijuana is considered one of Mexico’s most violent cities, with more than 1,200 homicides recorded there over the past year, mostly linked to local cartel activity. The city’s security situation, along with the political sensitivity surrounding Iran, had already made the team’s protection especially strict. Reports said Iran’s convoy left the stadium just minutes after the body was removed. The team’s media officer declined to say whether the delegation had requested extra security or was considering shortening its stay.