A decomposing body was found in the trunk of a car parked close to the stadium where Iran’s World Cup football team is training in Mexico. This was reported by AFP journalists at the scene on Friday.
The shocking discovery happened while the tournament is going on, hosted by Mexico, the US, and Canada.
Reporters saw police in Tijuana open the trunk of a gray Toyota SUV with California plates. This was in the parking lot of a supermarket right across from Caliente Stadium, where Team Melli is training for three games in the United States.
Specialists in white suits worked around the vehicle to check the corpse before taking it away.
The prosecutor’s office in Tijuana said a patrol unit found the body. "Upon inspecting the vehicle, they found a person wrapped in a black bag in the trunk, showing signs of violence," a spokesman said. They believe the car was abandoned on Wednesday.
Temperatures in Tijuana have reached up to 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit) recently, with the sun shining hot for hours daily.
Mexico has a big problem with drug gangs and has one of the highest murder rates in the world. Tijuana, located at the border with the United States, is especially dangerous, with more than 1,200 homicides recorded there in 2025, according to official numbers.
The Iranian national team had planned to train in Arizona. But they moved to Mexico because of ongoing conflicts with the United States. Their participation in FIFA’s football event has been overshadowed by this war.
Since arriving, the team has had heavy security. Armed soldiers escort them between the hotel and the stadium.
On Friday, the team convoy left the stadium just minutes after the body was taken away.
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