Iran National Team begins World Cup preparations in Antalya

The Iranian national team, which will compete in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, arrived in Antalya yesterday to begin its training camp. The Iranian delegation trained today at a sports complex in the Kundu Tourism Center in the Aksu district of Antalya. The training session, held under the management of head coach Amir Ghalenoei, was partially open to the press, with players performing warm-ups and ball work.

"We will return to the international arena"

Speaking to journalists during the training, Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, 1st Vice President of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, shared his views on the World Cup. Stating that they were one of the first three teams to submit the necessary applications to FIFA, Nabi said, "While there is so much criticism directed at our team, we constantly say 'we' because we are aware of all the conditions. We were one of the first three teams to submit the necessary applications to FIFA. Therefore, we trust our pre-approved program at the federation and are proceeding in line with our plan. We will certainly return to the international arena. We are continuing on our path in line with our program."

"Visas must be granted to all teams participating in the tournament"

Emphasizing that one of the obligations placed on the host country is to provide the necessary guarantees within the framework of FIFA statutes and tournament regulations, Nabi said, "One of these is the granting of visas. According to these rules, visas must be granted to all teams participating in the tournament. FIFA has also made a decision on this matter and emphasizes that host countries must provide the necessary cooperation. We will be in Ankara in the coming days. The players will apply to the Canadian Embassy for special visa procedures and necessary meetings. Some appointments and procedures have been planned at the embassy. Players playing abroad will also go to the embassy to carry out their procedures. Processes regarding the Canadian Embassy and US authorities are also being carried out within this scope."

"We have sufficient and comprehensive knowledge about how security committees work in all global organizations"

Continuing his remarks by saying, "We have experienced this before in different global organizations," Nabi noted that they had gone through these processes in France, Brazil, Germany, and most recently in Qatar, and that the team responsible for their security had performed its duties in the best possible way. Stating that all necessary protocols will be implemented in the US following these events, Nabi said, "The rules set by FIFA and the security committees established in the US are managing this process. These committees, which work in coordination with FIFA, are responsible for security. We have experienced these in past years as well, and we have sufficient and comprehensive knowledge about how security committees work in all global organizations we have participated in. We also know all the rules very well."

Meanwhile, the Iranian national team will play a friendly match against The Gambia on May 29.