JAKARTA – Iran midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi admitted that preparing for the 2026 World Cup in Turkey while his country is at war with the main host country is a mental challenge.
“To be honest, it’s not easy,” the 29-year-old said of the situation.
In the almost 100 years of history of this tournament, the host country has never fought with the participating countries.
“However, in the end, it will be difficult for us because at the same time, we follow the news in our country and political things, of course, can affect the minds of the players and the public,” he said again.
Ezatolahi, who also played for Iran at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, spoke to the Associated Press (AP) during the team’s training camp in Turkey, where the team spent more than two weeks, mostly training in the Antalya beach resort.
Meanwhile, several players went to the capital Ankara to apply for visas at the US Embassy.
Media access to Iran’s preparations for the 2026 World Cup is also limited. The players rarely speak to international journalists.
The team is scheduled to depart for Mexico this weekend after receiving visas from the Mexican Embassy in Ankara.
Iran said on Thursday, June 4, 2026, that the process of obtaining entry permits had been completed for all squad members.
Problems with visa processing led to Iran’s training base for the 2026 World Cup being moved from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, on the Mexican border with California.
Iran will play their first two matches near Los Angeles, which has a large Iranian community, many of whom are opposed to the current government.
“So, of course, we hope there will be a lot of fans during our match at the stadium. It will be a big pressure for us because the expectations will be high.”
“I just hope we can make them proud and show them that Iranians are ready for any hard work in the world,” Ezatolahi said.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Ghorbani, 24, will be participating in his first World Cup for Iran. He said his debut in the global big tournament was not smooth.
“It is true that we are facing a special situation at the moment, but we are football players and we have to play, train and prepare for the upcoming competitions.”
“On the other hand, we know that our people have experienced a lot of difficulties during the war. We are going there (the 2026 World Cup) for them, to get the best results for their happiness and the happiness of the people of our country,” the Abu Dhabi-based player told AP.
Iran are not allowed to enter the United States until June 14, 2026, one day before their first game against New Zealand at the Los Angeles Rams’ stadium in Inglewood.
They return to Inglewood to face Belgium on June 21, 2026 and complete Group G in Seattle by playing Egypt on June 26, 2026.
“I am very proud to be part of my national team. We need to clear our minds and stay fresh because our goal and task is to fight for our people, represent our country, and show how great we are,” said Ezatolahi, whose career has taken him to play for clubs in Spain, Russia, England, Belgium, Denmark, Qatar, and now Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Ghorbani agreed with his colleague’s statement. He said his team wanted to bring joy to the Iranian people.
“The best message I can give right now is that the Iranian team showed what it means to be a team. We showed that we are a team under one flag that can bring joy to our entire country, as well as show the strength of Iranian players and the Iranian people to the world,” he said.
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