Iran football team linked to fatal car discovery in Tijuana

On June 12, police in Tijuana uncovered a human corpse wrapped in a bag inside the trunk of a car parked near the Caliente stadium, where the Iran national football team trains for the FIFA World Cup. The body showed signs of violence; the vehicle bore California plates and had been stationary since Wednesday. Authorities launched an investigation, highlighting the incident amid Tijuana’s high homicide rates.

Iran’s squad, scheduled to play group matches against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt in the United States and Mexico, has already attracted political scrutiny because of ongoing tensions with the United States. The Iranian federation has warned FIFA it will not tolerate political attacks during its games. The discovery adds to security concerns surrounding the team’s presence in the host region during the tournament.