2026 World Cup: a decomposed body found in front of the stadium where Iran trains

A corpse in a state of decay was discovered in the trunk of a car parked in the lot of a supermarket located just across from the Caliente Stadium in Tijuana, in northwestern Mexico, where the Iranian team trains during the 2026 World Cup, according to AFP journalists cited by several media outlets on June 12, 2026. Local authorities have launched an investigation to identify the victim and determine the circumstances of the death, with no link being established at this stage between this incident and the Iranian team or the competition, according to these same sources.

The body was found in a gray Toyota SUV registered in California, parked for several days near the Caliente Stadium and the nearby supermarket, about a minute’s drive from the hotel where the Iranian delegation is staying, according to journalists on the scene and Tijuana authorities cited by Mexican and European press. Alerted by a strong smell, police officers opened the trunk of the vehicle, from which a significant stench emanated, before the arrival of crime scene technicians in white suits who proceeded with the observations and the removal of the body, according to consistent accounts.

The Tijuana prosecutor’s office stated it has opened a murder investigation to identify the victim and clarify the date and causes of death, without publicly disclosing details on the presumed identity of the deceased at the time of the initial findings, according to several media including Footmercato, 20 Minutes, and specialized football sites citing local authorities. Articles from these media stress that no evidence links the case to the Iranian team or the World Cup organization at this stage, with authorities considering the proximity of the stadium as a geographical coincidence in a city marked by high crime rates.

Impact on the Iranian Camp and Local Security

According to European and regional sports media, the Iranian group was temporarily evacuated from the stadium or placed under enhanced protection during police operations, in a context where their training sessions are already held behind closed doors for security reasons, as team officials had indicated a few days earlier. The Iranian training camp, preparing for a first match against New Zealand, remains in Tijuana, with security around the sports facilities and the team’s hotel being reinforced by local authorities ahead of the matches, according to these same sources.

Media reports remind us that Tijuana, a border city with the United States in the state of Baja California, regularly ranks among the most violent cities in Mexico, with a high murder rate linked to the activities of criminal groups, according to statistics from Mexican authorities and reports from NGOs cited by international press. Investigators have not provided a timeline for the duration of the investigations, while the vehicle where the body was found reportedly has been parked in the lot for at least two days prior to complaints about foul odors, according to local police sources cited by several media.