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Iranian players acknowledge the weight of competing on enemy soil as the 2026 World Cup approaches
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to begin in mid-June, Iran’s national football team is navigating circumstances that have no clear precedent in the tournament’s history: preparing to compete while their country is in active military conflict with the United States, which is serving as the primary host nation. Two members of the squad spoke to the Associated Press during a team training camp in Turkey, offering a rare and candid look at how those conditions are affecting the group.
Players speak of following the news while trying to stay focused
Midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi, who according to the AP is making his third World Cup appearance, said the situation has not been easy to manage. He acknowledged that his prior tournament experience may help him and some teammates cope, but noted that players are monitoring events back home throughout preparations, and that the broader geopolitical climate is weighing on minds within the camp.
Mohammad Ghorbani, a younger player expected to be making his first World Cup appearance, told the AP in Farsi that the squad is aware of what the Iranian people are enduring and that the team’s motivation is to compete for them and deliver results that bring some joy amid difficult circumstances.
Logistical challenges have shaped the lead-up
According to the AP, the team has been training at a camp in Turkey, and some players made trips to Ankara to pursue US visa applications at the American embassy there. Visa processing difficulties are reported to have prompted a change in Iran’s pre-tournament base, shifting from a planned site in Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, just across the border from California. The squad was reported to be traveling to Mexico this weekend after securing visas through the Mexican embassy.
Iran’s opening World Cup match is scheduled for June 15 against New Zealand at the stadium in Inglewood near Los Angeles, a city home to a large Iranian diaspora community. The team is also scheduled to play Belgium on June 21 in Inglewood before concluding their group stage against Egypt on June 26 in Seattle. Ezatolahi noted that playing before that community brings its own form of pressure, alongside the hope of making them proud.
1stWhistle will continue to follow this story as further details about Iran’s World Cup preparations and travel arrangements are confirmed.
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