Iranian national football team heads to Turkey to prepare for World Cup 2026

The Iranian selection must play its three group stage matches in the United States, during the 2026 World Cup.

The Iranian national football team left for Turkey on Monday, May 18, to prepare for the 2026 World Cup before heading to the United States, where they will play their first three tournament matches. The selection, “composed of 22 players and technical staff, left the country this morning for Antalya to play their last friendly match before flying to the United States,” reported the Iranian news agency Tasnim.

In Antalya, Iran hopes to play two friendly matches, although only a game against Gambia scheduled for May 29 has been confirmed so far. The players will also use their time in Turkey to complete the necessary visa procedures for the United States. Iranian Football Federation President Mehdi Taj stated on May 9 that no visas had been issued yet to the Team Melli, as Tehran seeks assurances regarding the team’s safety.

Qualified for its fourth consecutive finals, Iran will set up its base camp in Tucson, Arizona, where the team is expected to arrive on June 5, ten days before their first match on June 15 in Los Angeles against New Zealand. The selection will then face Belgium on June 21, and conclude the group stage against Egypt on June 26 in Seattle. Iran’s participation in the tournament has been surrounded by uncertainties since the American-Israeli offensive launched in late February against the Islamic Republic, sparking conflict in the Middle East.

Although a ceasefire on April 8 halted the fighting, negotiations for a lasting agreement remain at a stalemate. “I think they should be allowed to play,” Donald Trump stated in late April, despite previously expressing concerns about Iran’s “security.” FIFA, on the other hand, has been adamant for weeks that the team will participate in the tournament in the United States.