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Iran’s football team arrived in Turkey on Monday for a training camp and to complete visa applications ahead of the FIFA 2026 World Cup, AFP correspondents said.
The 22 players and coaching staff in the “Team Melli” delegation flew into the Turkish resort of Antalya where they could be seen leaving the airport dressed in navy blue tracksuits.
The players were to stay several weeks before heading to the global tournament that is being co-hosted by the United States, which began bombing Iran on February 28 alongside Israel, sparking war.
The team will be based in Arizona in the United States and play all three of their group matches there in spite of the war, which has been temporarily halted by a ceasefire since April 8.
But with negotiations in the doldrums, new weekend drone attacks on Gulf countries and fresh threats from US President Donald Trump have heightened fears that fighting could resume.
The team are hoping to play two friendlies in Antalya, including one against The Gambia on May 29, according to Sam Mehdizadeh, an Iranian-Canadian who heads a company that sets up friendlies for the team and is working to set up a second match.
Iran and the United States cut diplomatic ties 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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