The Iran national football team is preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite an ongoing war between Iran and the United States, the World Cup's host country [1, 2]. The conflict involving the US and Israel against Iran began on February 28, 2026, and an uneasy ceasefire has been in place since April 8, 2026 [1].

Iran has conducted over two weeks of training in Turkiye, mostly in Antalya, where some players applied for US visas at the American embassy in Ankara [1, 2]. The team’s original World Cup training base in Tucson, Arizona, was moved to Tijuana, Mexico, due to difficulties obtaining US visas [1, 2]. Iranian players received visas from the Mexican embassy in Ankara and plan to travel to Mexico before entering the United States for the tournament [1, 2].

Iran will play its first two World Cup matches near Los Angeles, which has a sizeable Iranian population [1, 2]. However, access for international media has been limited, and players have rarely spoken to journalists [2].

Midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi, 29, described the mental toll the war and political situation have taken on the team. He said, "Well, to be honest, it’s not easy... 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" [1]. He added, "So for sure, we are expecting to have a lot of fans during our games at the stadium. 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" [2].

Mohammad Ghorbani, 24, making his first World Cup appearance, acknowledged the challenges but emphasized motivation to perform for his country. He said, "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. On the other hand, we know that our people have been going through a lot of difficulties throughout the war, and we are going there for them, to get the best results for their joy and the joy of the people of our country" [2].

Iran is expected to travel to Mexico in early June to finalize preparations before entering the United States on June 14, a day before their opening match against New Zealand [1, 2].