Written by Megan Taylor, sports reporter covering international sports since 2020
Iran World Cup preparations are being shaped by rare off-field pressure as the national team gets ready for the 2026 tournament while their country is at war with the primary host nation.
Iran’s players have spent more than two weeks training in Turkey, mainly in Antalya, with visa issues forcing their training base to move from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana in Mexico.
For more tournament context, read World Cup 2026 science podcast: heat stress, VAR and climate concerns explained.
Iran Players Face Unusual Pressure
Saeid Ezatolahi, who played for Iran at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, said the situation has been hard to block out during camp.
"Well, to be honest, it's not easy," said Saeid Ezatolahi, a 29-year-old midfielder who also played for Iran in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
"That's going to be my third World Cup. So for me and some of the other players, it might be easier to manage these kind of things," he said at training on Wednesday.
"But at the end ... it is going to be difficult for us because at the same time, we are following the news in our country and the political things, of course, can affect the mind of the players and the people."
Iran are due to travel to Mexico this weekend after receiving visas from the Mexican embassy in Ankara. Some players also went to the United States embassy in Ankara for visa applications.
Group G Schedule Brings Extra Focus
Iran open against New Zealand on June 15 at the Los Angeles Rams’ stadium in Inglewood, then return there to face Belgium on June 21.
They finish Group G against Egypt in Seattle on June 26, with official tournament details available through FIFA.
"So for sure, we are expecting to have a lot fans during our games at the stadium," Ezatolahi said. "And this is going to be a lot pressure for us because the expectation is going be high. I just wish we can make them proud and show them that Iranians, they are prepared for every hard job in the world," he said.
Mohammad Ghorbani, who is preparing for his first World Cup, said the squad is trying to focus on football.
"It's true that we are facing special circumstances right now but we are football players and we have to play, practice, and prepare ourselves for the competitions we have ahead," the Abu Dhabi-based player said.
"The best message I can give right now is that the Iranian team is showing what it means to be a team," he said. "We are showing that we are one team under one flag that can bring joy to our whole country, and to show the power of Iranian players and Iranian people to the world."