Iran’s football team arrived in Turkey on Monday for a training camp and to process visa applications for the FIFA 2026 World Cup, AFP correspondents said.
The 22 players and coaching staff of the “Team Melli” delegation arrived in the Turkish resort of Antalya, where they could be seen leaving the airport dressed in navy blue tracksuits.
Players were expected to stay a few weeks before heading to the global tournament that is co-hosted by the United States, which started bombing Iran on February 28 with Israel, igniting war.
The team will be based in the United States, in Arizona, and play all three of their group matches there, despite the war, which has been temporarily halted by a ceasefire since April 8.
However, stalled negotiations, recent drone attacks on Gulf countries over the weekend, and new threats from US President Donald Trump have raised fears that fighting could resume.
Sam Mehdizadeh, an Iranian-Canadian who runs a company that stages friendlies for the team, is trying to set up a second match and said the team wants to play two friendlies in Antalya, including one against The Gambia on May 29.
Iran and the United States severed diplomatic relations in 1980, and the players will use their time in Turkey to complete visa applications, head coach Amir Ghalenoei said on Saturday.
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