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Iran’s nationalist shot squad was headed to Turkiye connected Monday (May 18, 2026) to play a last affable lucifer and use for visas to alert to the United States for the 2026 World Cup, Iranian media reported.
The squad program to enactment successful the tourney contempt co-host Washington having launched a warfare against Iran with a monolithic question of attacks alongside state Israel connected February 28.
The warring has been connected clasp for weeks acknowledgment to a ceasefire, but bid talks person failed to marque a breakthrough and caller drone attacks against Gulf countries astatine the play combined with threats from US President Donald Trump raising fears of a instrumentality to fighting.
The squad “departed this greeting for Antalya, Turkey to play its last affable lucifer earlier flying to the United States for the 2026 World Cup,” the Tasnim quality bureau reported.
It said the squad consisted of 22 domestic-based players alongside their coaching staff.
On Saturday (May 16, 2026), caput manager Amir Ghalenoei said they would besides beryllium completing visa applications for the US portion successful Turkey.
‘Let ‘em play’ Iran secured their spot astatine the World Cup successful March 2025, but since past the United States has doubly launched attacks connected the country.
U.S. officials person insisted that Iran is invited astatine the tournament, portion organiser FIFA has said it volition spell up arsenic planned and rejected Iranian suggestions that their games beryllium moved to co-hosts Mexico oregon Canada.
“I deliberation fto ‘em play,” Mr. Trump said successful precocious April.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said immoderate occupation would not beryllium with Iranian players but “some of the different radical (they) would privation to bring with them”, suggesting they whitethorn person ties to the Revolutionary Guards, which Washington has branded a violent organisation.
Last month, officials from Iran’s shot federation abandoned a travel to the FIFA legislature successful Canada, saying they had been “insulted” by Canadian migration officers.
One of their delegation, Mehdi Taj, is simply a erstwhile subordinate of the Revolutionary Guards, which Canada has besides designated a panic group.
The Iranian shot squad anticipation to play 2 friendlies successful Antalya.
They person already confirmed 1 match, against The Gambia, connected May 29, said Sam Mehdizadeh, an Iranian-Canadian who heads a institution that sets up friendlies for the team.
“No visas person been issued yet,” Taj, the caput of Iran’s shot federation, told Iranian media connected Thursday.
On Saturday (May 16, 2026), FIFA caput wide Mattias Grafstrom held a gathering successful Turkey with the federation, describing it arsenic constructive, arsenic did Taj.
When the squad reaches the United States, Iran volition acceptable up their basal campy successful Tucson, Arizona.
The team, who are successful Group G, are owed to footwear disconnected their run against New Zealand successful Los Angeles connected June 15, earlier facing Belgium successful the aforesaid metropolis and past Egypt successful Seattle.
