A decomposing body was found in the trunk of a car parked a short distance from the stadium where the Iranian national team trains during the football World Cup. The discovery took place in Tijuana, in the north-west of Mexico, in the car park of a supermarket which is located right in front of the Caliente stadium, where the Iranian selection goes every day for training.
The police opened the vehicle, a gray Toyota SUV with a California license plate, from which a strong odor came out that made a surveillance patrol suspicious. The Tijuana prosecutor’s office explained that the officers identified a person in the trunk wrapped in a black bag, with signs of violence. Specialists in white overalls arrived on site and examined the body before removing it.
The car park where the discovery was made is about a minute’s drive from the Iranian national team’s hotel. On Friday, minutes after the body was removed, the team convoy left the stadium.
The Iranian national team under guard
Iran established its base camp in Tijuana after war and tensions with the United States forced the federation to change initial plans: the team was supposed to prepare in Tucson, Arizona. Since its arrival on Sunday, the national team has been surrounded by an imposing security apparatus.
Each movement of the team bus between the hotel and the stadium is accompanied by several vehicles of the Mexican National Guard, with armed soldiers. At the moment it is not clear whether, after the discovery of the body, security measures will be further strengthened.
Tijuana, one of the most dangerous cities in Mexico
The discovery brings attention to the security situation in Tijuana, a border city close to California and considered one of the most dangerous in Mexico. The country has for years been marked by violence linked to drug trafficking and has one of the highest murder rates in the world. In Tijuana alone, over 1,200 murders occurred in 2025.
In the World Cup jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, Iran will play its three group stage matches in the United States. The debut is scheduled for Monday against New Zealand in Los Angeles.