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Iran's World Cup squad volition question to Turkey connected Monday for a grooming camp, friendlies and to implicit visa applications earlier heading to the United States, caput manager Amir Ghalenoei said connected Saturday.
Team Melli volition beryllium returning to Antalya wherever they trained and played friendlies successful March.
They are taking a squad of 30 players, which volition person to beryllium trimmed to the World Cup maximum of 26. Perhaps the champion known is 33-year-old erstwhile Porto striker Mehdi Taremi, present with Olympiacos.
"Selecting 30 players for this last grooming campy up of the World Cup was the astir hard method determination of my coaching career," Ghalenoei told the Iranian shot federation website, adding that helium had selected players solely connected "technical criteria."
Iranian shot supporters stitchery during a ceremonial for the Iran nationalist shot squad up of the World Cup astatine Enghelab Square successful Tehran, Iran, connected May 13, 2026.
Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images
Iran anticipation to play 2 friendlies successful Antalya. They person already confirmed 1 match, against Gambia, connected May 29, said Sam Mehdizadeh, an Iranian-Canadian who heads a institution that sets up friendlies for the team.
Iran and the U.S. chopped diplomatic ties successful 1980, and the players are expected to usage their clip successful Turkey to implicit the indispensable procedures for obtaining visas.
"No visas person been issued yet," Mehdi Taj, the Iranian shot federation head, told Iranian media connected Thursday.
Taj said players were expected to acquisition fingerprinting successful Turkey arsenic portion of the visa process but wished to debar a travel of much than 280 miles from Antalya to Ankara.
Taj is expected to clasp talks with FIFA president Gianni Infantino arsenic Tehran seeks assurances for its squad amid tensions accrued by the ongoing war.
When the squad reaches the U.S., Iran volition acceptable up their basal campy successful Tucson, Arizona.
They are owed to footwear disconnected the radical signifier of their World Cup run against New Zealand astatine SoFi Stadium southbound of Los Angeles connected June 15, earlier facing Belgium successful the aforesaid stadium, and past Egypt astatine Lumen Field successful Seattle.
President Trump has appeared to nonstop mixed messages connected whether helium believes Iran should instrumentality portion successful the World Cup. In a White House meeting in mid-March, Mr. Trump told FIFA representatives that Iran was invited to play successful the tournament, officials told CBS News astatine the time. However, 2 days later, Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social that portion the Iranian squad was "welcome" to participate, helium didn't "believe it is due that they beryllium there, for their ain beingness and safety."
Following those remarks, Taj said Iran was negotiating with FIFA to play its matches successful Mexico.
Infantino has repeatedly stated that Iran volition participate. On April 30 successful Vancouver, Canada, portion addressing the FIFA Congress — an yearly gathering which involves FIFA representatives from much than 200 nations — Infantino opened his remarks by "confirming, consecutive away, for those who privation to accidental thing other oregon constitute thing else, that of people Iran volition beryllium participating astatine the FIFA World Cup 2026. And of people Iran volition play successful the United States of America."
Taj said past week said the state volition enactment successful the World Cup, but nether definite conditions.
"We are going to the World Cup, for which we qualified, and our big is FIFA, not Mr. Trump oregon America," Taj told Iranian authorities broadcaster IRIB.
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