Iran players speak candidly on how war with the US is shaping their World Cup camp

Iran will enter the 2026 World Cup in a situation without precedent in the tournament’s history: competing on the soil of a country they are currently at war with. Two members of the squad spoke to the Associated Press during a training camp in Antalya, Turkey, offering a rare window into how the geopolitical backdrop is weighing on the group.

Midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi, 29, who will make his third World Cup appearance, acknowledged the difficulty plainly. “It’s not easy,” he said in English during a training session on Wednesday. “The political things, of course, can affect the mind of the players and the people.” While his experience of major tournaments may help him personally, he said the team as a whole is navigating a uniquely pressured environment, compounded by following news from home.

First-time World Cup player Mohammad Ghorbani, 24, framed the situation in terms of responsibility rather than burden. “We know that our people have been going through a lot of difficulties throughout the war, and we are going there for them,” the Abu Dhabi-based forward told the AP in Farsi. “We have to play, practice, and prepare ourselves for the competitions we have ahead.”

The squad has spent more than two weeks at the Antalya resort, with access for international media tightly restricted. Visa complications forced a significant logistical change: Iran’s original training base in Tucson, Arizona was moved to Tijuana, just across the border in Mexico. Players travelled to Ankara to submit US visa applications at the American embassy, before ultimately securing Mexican visas to allow the earlier relocation.

Iran’s first two group-stage matches will be played near Los Angeles, a city with one of the largest Iranian diaspora communities in the world — many of whom are openly critical of the Tehran government. Ezatolahi noted the double-edged nature of that support. “We are expecting to have a lot of fans during our games at the stadium. This is going to be a lot of pressure for us because the expectation is going to be high,” he said. “I just wish we can make them proud and show them that Iranians are prepared for every hard job in the world.”

The team is not required to enter the United States until 14 June, the day before their opening fixture against New Zealand.