Iran’s national football team was heading to Turkey on Monday to play a final friendly match before flying to the United States for the 2026 World Cup, the country’s media reported.
“The Iranian national football team… departed this morning to Antalya, Turkey, to play its last friendly match before flying to the United States for the 2026 World Cup,” the spokesperson said. Tasnim This is reported by the news agency.
It said the squad consisted of 22 domestic players in addition to their coaching staff.
On Saturday, head coach Amir Ghalenoei said they would also submit visa applications for the US during their stay in Turkey.
The team’s participation in the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, comes amid a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the US that ended the 40-day war that began on February 28.
The US broke off diplomatic ties with Iran in 1980 following the Islamic Revolution and the US Embassy hostage crisis.
Iran hopes to play two friendly matches in Antalya.
The team has already confirmed one match, against Gambia, on May 29, said Sam Mehdizadeh, an Iranian-Canadian who heads a company that organizes friendly matches for the team.
READ: Provisional Iranian squad for 2026 FIFA World Cup – Sardar Azmoun left out
“No visas have been issued yet,” Mehdi Taj, the head of Iran’s football federation, told Iranian media on Thursday.
Taj said players were expected to undergo fingerprinting in Turkey as part of the visa process, but he wanted to avoid a journey of more than 380 kilometers from Antalya to Ankara.
On Saturday, FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom held a meeting in Turkey with the Iranian federation, which he described as excellent and constructive.
Taj also described Saturday’s meeting as «positive and constructive,» without going into details.
When the team reaches the United States, Iran will set up its base camp in Tucson, Arizona.
The team, who are in Group G, will kick off their World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15 before playing Belgium in the same city and then Egypt in Seattle.
Published on May 18, 2026
