The Iranian National Team Begins Training in Türkiye, Ready to Compete in the United States

TEHRAN, SATURDAY - The Iranian national team will soon begin training in Turkey in preparation for the 2026 World Cup matches. In that country, the Iranian national team will also arrange their departure visas to the United States to compete in the prestigious global football event.

Iran national team coach Amir Ghalenoei stated on Saturday (16/5/2026) that as part of the preparations for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, the team nicknamed Team Melli will also hold a friendly match in Turkey.

Iran, which is still at war with the US and Israel, will bring 30 players to Turkey on Monday (18/5/2026). During the training camp in Turkey, the players will be re-selected until they meet the maximum quota of 26 players to participate in the FIFA World Cup.

One of the famous players from Iran is the former defender of Porto, Portugal, Mehdi Taremi (33). Taremi is currently part of the Greek league club, Olympiacos. Taremi once scored against England in the Qatar 2022 World Cup. At that time, Iran lost 2-6 to the Three Lions.

In addition, there is winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh who has previously competed in the Dutch Eredivisie and the English Premier League. He will occupy the central position and serve as the captain of the Iranian national team. Currently, Jahanbakhsh plays for F.C.V. Dender E.H. in the Belgian top league.

At the forefront is Sardar Azmoun, nicknamed the "Messi of Iran." Azmoun is a key striker with a goal-scoring instinct in European competitions. He currently plays for Shabab Al Ahli in the United Arab Emirates. Azmoun has also played for the renowned club Rostov, then Zenit Saint Petersburg in Russia, in the Bundesliga for Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, as well as in the top league Serie A for AS Roma in Italy.

Under the crossbar, Alireza Beiranvand (33), who has played 80 matches for the national team, is expected to be the main goalkeeper for Iran. Beiranvand currently plays for the club S.C. Tractor in Iran. He has previously played for the Greek club, Persepolis.

A number of other players who are part of the Iran squad, some of whom also play for the Greek professional league at the club Persepolis.

"Selecting 30 players for the final stage of preparation for the World Cup is the most difficult decision I have made throughout my coaching career," said Ghalenoei on the website of the Iranian Football Federation. He emphasized that all players were chosen based on technical considerations.

The Iranian national team is scheduled to hold two friendly matches in Antalya. Sam Mehdizadeh, an Iranian-Canadian diaspora, has arranged one match against Gambia on May 29.

"So far, no US visas have been issued for us," said the President of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, to Iranian media, Thursday (14/5).

Taj stated that the Iranian players will take fingerprints for their US visa applications in Turkey. However, he hopes they will not need to travel 450 kilometers from Antalya to Ankara, where the US Embassy is located.

Taj is also scheduled to meet with FIFA President Gianni Infantino to ensure security guarantees for the Iranian national team to compete amid the war situation that began with the US-Israel attack on Iran on February 28, 2026.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated that the host of the 2026 World Cup cannot use political reasons, sanctions, or unilateral decisions to prevent guest teams from coming and competing in the FIFA World Cup.

"If the organizing body (FIFA) cannot guarantee the presence of qualified teams, including Iran, entering the host country, this undermines the credibility of the World Cup," said Gharibabadi on his X account.

Iran and the United States have not had diplomatic relations since 1980 following the hostage crisis at the U.S. Embassy during the Iranian Islamic Revolution, which overthrew the dictator Shah Reza Pahlavi, who was supported by the U.S.

US President Donald Trump had threatened the Iranian national team and rejected the presence of the Iranian team in the FIFA World Cup in the US.

Taj and the Iranian Delegation will also meet with the President of the Turkish Football Association (TFF) Ethem Haciosmanoglu and FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom on Saturday (17/5).

"In the meeting, an assessment will be conducted regarding the training centralization and preparations for the Iranian squad in Turkey ahead of the World Cup," stated TFF on social media.

If they compete in the US, the Iranian national team will be in Tucson, Arizona, to participate in the qualifying matches in Group G.

Iran is scheduled to begin its match against New Zealand in Los Angeles, California, on June 15, followed by a confrontation with the strong team from Belgium in the same city. The Melli team will conclude its matches against Egypt in Seattle, Washington State.