ANTALYA – As Iran prepares for the World Cup, the nation finds itself in an unprecedented situation, embroiled in conflict with the event’s primary host country.
In conversations with The Associated Press during their training camp in Turkey, two Iranian team members shared insights into how these hostilities are impacting their World Cup preparations.
“Honestly, it’s quite challenging,” admitted 29-year-old midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi, a seasoned player who represented Iran in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
“This will be my third World Cup, so for me and some of the other more experienced players, it might be somewhat easier to handle these issues,” he remarked in English during a training session on Wednesday. “Yet, ultimately, it remains tough because we’re constantly monitoring the situation back home, and, naturally, political matters can weigh heavily on the minds of both players and supporters.”
The Iranian squad has been stationed in Turkey for over two weeks, primarily training in the coastal town of Antalya, with some members traveling to Ankara to process visa applications at the U.S. embassy. Media coverage of their World Cup preparations has been limited, and the players rarely engage with international journalists.
The team plans to head to Mexico this weekend, having secured visas from the Mexican embassy in Ankara. Due to visa processing issues, Iran’s World Cup training camp was relocated from Tucson, Arizona to Tijuana, just across the border from California.
Iran will play its first two games near Los Angeles, which has a large Iranian community, many of whom oppose the current government.
“So for sure, we are expecting to have a lot fans during our games at the stadium,” Ezatolahi said. “And this is going to be a lot pressure for us because the expectation is going be high. I just wish we can make them proud and show them that Iranians, they are prepared for every hard job in the world,” he said.
Mohammad Ghorbani, 24, is going to his first World Cup for Iran.
“It’s true that we are facing special circumstances right now but we are football players and we have to play, practice, and prepare ourselves for the competitions we have ahead,” the Abu Dhabi-based player told the AP in Farsi.
“On the other hand, we know that our people have been going through a lot of difficulties throughout the war, and we are going there for them, to get the best results for their joy and the joy of the people of our country.”
The team is not required to enter the United States until June 14, one day before its first match against New Zealand at the Los Angeles Rams’ stadium in Inglewood.
Iran returns to Inglewood to face Belgium on June 21 and completes Group G in Seattle, against Egypt on June 26.
“I’m really proud to be part of my national team,” 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.
“We need to clear up our minds and be fresh because our target and our duty is to fight for our people, to represent our country and to show how good we are,” he said.
Ghorbani agreed, saying the team wants to bring joy to Iranians.
“The best message I can give right now is that the Iranian team is showing what it means to be a team,” he said. “We are showing that we are one team under one flag that can bring joy to our whole country, and to show the power of Iranian players and Iranian people to the world.”
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AP Sports Writer Graham Dunbar in Geneva contributed to this report.
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