Iran will head to its World Cup base this weekend on high after beating Mali 2-0 in a friendly in Turkey on Thursday, even if some uncertainty clouds its participation in the tournament.
Goals from midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi and right-back Ramin Rezaeian either side of half-time gave Team Melli a record of three wins and one defeat in their four friendlies this year in the Turkish resort of Antalya.
The friendlies are the only competitive football the Iran-based players have played since domestic competition was suspended in the wake of US and Israeli airstrikes on the Islamic Republic in late February, triggering a regional war.
The team has received visas for Mexico, officials confirmed this week, and will leave Turkey on Saturday for the tournament base in the border city of Tijuana.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum agreed to host the team after being told that U.S. authorities did not want Iran to remain at its original base in Arizona during the June 11-July 19 tournament.
However, the team has not yet received the visas needed to enter the US to play the group matches against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles and Egypt in Seattle.
Iranian FA (FFIRI) president Mehdi Taj told Iranian media this week that US visas were the main concern for the federation as Iran’s tournament opener against New Zealand on June 15 approaches.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday there was «no problem» with the Iranian team entering the country, but Washington was not accompanied by officials or personnel with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Both the US and Canada, which are co-hosting the World Cup with Mexico, classify the IRGC as a “terrorist entity”.
Taj was denied entry to Canada for the FIFA congress at the end of April because of his ties to the military elite.
Player Ratings
Iran: Alireza Beiranvand (7.2/10), Arya Yousefi (7.0/10), Shoja Khalilzadeh (7.4/10), Ali Nemati (7.1/10), Milad Mohammadi (6.9/10), Saeid Ezatolahi (8.3/10), Ramin Rezaeian (8.1/10), Saman Ghoddos (7.5/10), Mehdi Ghaedi (6.8/10), Mehdi Taremi (7.3/10), Shahriar Moghanlou (6.5/10) subtitles: Hossein Kananizadegan (6.4/10), Omid Norafkan (6.2/10), Sardar Azmoun (6.7/10), Alireza Jahanbakhsh (6.3/10), Mohammad Mohebi (6.0/10).
Mali: Djigui Diarra (6.1/10), Mohamed Camara (6.3/10), Boubakar Kouyaté (6.0/10), Mamadou Fofana (5.8/10), Amadou Danté (6.2/10), Lassana Coulibaly (6.7/10), Kamory Doumbia (6.9/10), Aliou Dieng (6.4/10). Sissoko (5.9/10), Nene Dorgeles (6.5/10), Sekou Koita (6.1/10) subtitles: El Bilal Touré (6.2/10), Adama Traoré (6.0/10), Mamadou Maïga (5.9/10), Moussa Sylla (5.8/10)
Published on June 5, 2026
