Iran World Cup squad lands in Antalya for training

Iran’s football team arrived in Türkiye on May 18 for a training camp and to complete visa applications ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

The 22 players and coaching staff in the “Team Melli” delegation flew into the Turkish resort city of Antalya, where they could be seen leaving the airport dressed in navy blue tracksuits.

The players were to stay several weeks before heading to the global tournament that is being co-hosted by the United States, which began bombing Iran on Feb. 28 alongside Israel, sparking war.

The team will be based in Arizona in the United States and play all three of their group matches there in spite of the war, which has been temporarily halted by a ceasefire since April 8.