News Focus
- Iran have travelled to Turkey to begin preparations for the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States.
- FIFA has given clear guarantees that Iran will compete despite earlier political tensions and visa delays.
- Italy will not replace Iran at the tournament despite being the highest-ranked nation to miss qualification.
- The Iranian squad will use Antalya as a temporary base while they complete visa applications for the US.
Iran have moved closer to securing their place at the 2026 World Cup after receiving official backing from FIFA. The national team has flown to Turkey to set up their pre-tournament training camp.
FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström held a meeting with officials from the Iranian Football Federation in Istanbul. Reports suggest the talks went well. Grafström gave his assurance that Iran will take part in the competition.
The squad will use Antalya as a temporary home while they sort out visa paperwork for the United States. They will travel to America once the documents are ready.
There had been serious doubts about Iran joining the tournament. Political problems in the region caused delays with the US visa process. Federation president Mehdi Taj had warned about these issues in recent weeks.
The uncertainty led to suggestions that Italy could replace Iran. Italy are the highest-ranked country that failed to qualify for the finals. However, most supporters saw this idea as another embarrassing moment for the Azzurri. Italy did not earn their place through the qualification groups.
Now that FIFA has given Iran the green light, Italy will not join the competition. The four-time world champions will miss another major tournament.