Iran's World Cup Journey Amid War and Uncertainty
Iran’s national team slipped into Turkey on Monday, not for a friendly or a quick tune‑up, but for a long stay in limbo before a World Cup like no other.
They will spend several weeks at this pre‑tournament camp before flying, if all goes to plan, to a World Cup co‑hosted by the United States — the same country that, alongside Israel, began bombing Iran on February 28, igniting a wider war across the Middle East.
Football preparation in the shadow of air raids. A training base in Turkey. A tournament in a nation currently at war with their own. This is not a normal build‑up.
Camp in Turkey, questions in the air
On the surface, the message from the Iranian camp is one of order and calm.
“Everything will proceed properly according to the protocols and what FIFA has stipulated,” said national team director and federation vice‑president Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, outlining a framework that sounds familiar to any World Cup veteran.
He pointed to the machinery already in motion inside the United States: “Inside the United States, they also have committees in place, including a security committee that cooperates with FIFA and is responsible for security matters.
“In past years we've experienced all of this and we're fully informed about how these security committees operate at every World Cup we've participated in.
“In this regard, we're very confident and we have a clear plan.”
The rhetoric is measured, almost routine. The context is anything but.
Visas still not in hand
Behind that confident front, one basic requirement remains unresolved: getting into the host country.
Iranian officials have already acknowledged that neither players nor staff have received US visas. The plan is to apply via the Canadian embassy in Turkey, a workaround that underlines how politically charged this World Cup will be for Team Melli.
“We’re not certain yet that all the players and staff will receive US visas,” Mohammad Nabi admitted.
That uncertainty cuts to the heart of a World Cup obligation. Under FIFA rules, a host must guarantee access to all qualified teams. The Iranian camp is leaning heavily on that commitment.
“One of the rules that applies to the host country is that they must provide guarantees, according to FIFA's statutes and the regulations of the competition,” he said. “One of their commitments is the visas: they have to grant the necessary visa facilities to all the teams that have qualified for the World Cup.
“And FIFA has made arrangements so that the host country will provide the necessary cooperation to teams like Iran in this area.”
The message is clear: Iran expect the doors to open because the rules say they must. Until the visas are stamped, though, the tension lingers.
Group G awaits in the US
While diplomats and administrators wrestle with paperwork and politics, the football calendar remains fixed.
Iran are slated to open their Group G campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. The same city will host their second match, against Belgium, before a trip north to face Egypt in Seattle.
The team’s World Cup base will be in Tucson, Arizona, a desert setting far removed from the chaos at home and the diplomatic wrangling in Ankara.
So the players train in Turkey, plan for Arizona, and prepare to walk out in Los Angeles and Seattle — all while their country is under bombardment by one of the host nations.
The fixtures are set. The camp is underway. The question that hangs over Iran’s World Cup journey now is brutally simple: will every member of this squad be allowed to cross the border and play the tournament they have already qualified for?
