- ‘We have seen many times in football that an entire stadium was against a team, but that atmosphere became extra motivation for the players,’ Iranian football analyst Salar Alikhah told Anadolu
- ‘It is highly possible they will face various forms of pressure there,’ says Maryam Yektaei
Iran’s national football team will depart for Türkiye on Monday to begin preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as the squad heads toward the tournament amid diplomatic and logistical concerns surrounding its participation in the event, co-hosted by the United Staets, Canada, and Mexico.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported that a farewell ceremony for the national team will be held Wednesday evening in Tehran before the squad leaves the country.
According to the report, the event will begin at 17:00 GMT at Tehran’s Enghelab Square and continue through the evening as players are officially seen off by supporters before departing for Türkiye.
The ceremony is expected to include national team players, coaching staff, football federation officials, senior sports administrators and political and sports figures.
IRNA also said a special anthem for the national team and Iran’s official jersey for the 2026 World Cup will be unveiled during the gathering.
Training camp in Türkiye
Iran plans to hold its pre-World Cup training camp in Antalya, Türkiye, where the team is expected to play two friendly matches, including one against Gambia on May 29.
According to Iran Football Federation chief Mehdi Taj, Iran will also hold a friendly match in the United States before the tournament begins.
Iran were drawn in Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand.
Iran will open the tournament against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on June 16 before facing Belgium at the same venue on June 21. Iran’s final group-stage match will be against Egypt at Lumen Field in Seattle on June 26.
The matches will be played in two of the largest stadiums on the US west coast, with SoFi Stadium holding around 70,000 fans and Seattle’s Lumen Field nearly 68,000.
Iranian football journalist and analyst Salar Alikhah said the scale of the World Cup itself naturally creates pressure for all teams, not only Iran.
“The World Cup is a global festival followed by the entire world, and this edition will receive even more attention because of the expanded format,” he told Anadolu.
He said hosting the tournament in the United States would intensify the media spotlight surrounding Iran’s matches.
At the same time, Alikhah argued that Iran’s experienced players could help younger members of the squad adapt to the atmosphere and pressure of the tournament.
He also pointed to the impact of the recent war with the US and Israel on domestic football preparations, saying some Iran-based league players had been away from competitive conditions for some time and may not be at ideal physical levels.
“That can affect the entire team because football is completely collective,” he said, adding that Iran’s current preparations are heavily focused on fitness and conditioning.
FIFA guarantees
Speaking to Iranian media, Taj said Iran is seeking guarantees from FIFA after Iranian football officials were unable to attend the FIFA Congress in Canada last month despite holding valid visas.
Taj and federation Secretary-General Hedayat Mombeini reportedly faced entry issues upon arrival in Canada on April 29 while traveling for FIFA-related meetings.
FIFA later expressed regret over the incident and said a separate meeting with Iranian officials would be arranged.
“We have no issue with the United States. We are going to the World Cup because we qualified. Our host is FIFA, not any specific country,” Taj told state broadcaster IRIB last week.
He also said Iran plans to obtain visas for all team members in Ankara and is seeking exemption from fingerprinting procedures while requesting direct charter flights to the United States.
Political backdrop surrounding tournament
The political atmosphere surrounding the tournament is also expected to draw attention amid ongoing tensions between Tehran and Washington.
During the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, some Iranian spectators displayed protest banners and slogans inside and outside stadiums, while sections of fans booed the national anthem before Iran’s opening match against England following the death of a young woman, Mahsa Amini, in police custody.
Alikhah said similar scenes could emerge again in the United States due to the presence of opposition groups abroad, though he argued such atmospheres can sometimes motivate players rather than weaken them.
“We have seen many times in football that an entire stadium was against a team, but that atmosphere became extra motivation for the players,” he said.
“Sometimes psychological pressure and a heavy atmosphere create more energy, solidarity and determination within a team,” he added.
Maryam Yektaei, goalkeeper of Iran’s women’s national football team who previously played for Turkish clubs Besiktas and Beylerbeyi Spor, also said the current uncertainty and instability caused by the war has created a difficult environment both for athletes and for Iranian society.
“But in the end, they are going there to play football and represent their country no matter what,” she told Anadolu.
Yektaei noted that Iran had not received an easy draw in Group G, but said the team still has a realistic chance of advancing if it performs well.
She also said hosting the tournament in the United States would inevitably create additional sensitivities for the Iranian squad.
“It is highly possible they will face various forms of pressure there,” she said. “But I hope they can stay away from the psychological war, focus on the pitch and show their real performance.”
Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, triggering retaliation from Tehran and contributing to instability across the Gulf region and the Strait of Hormuz.
While US officials have said Iranian athletes are not expected to face restrictions, questions remain regarding accompanying officials and delegation members.
