Iran football team aims to bring World Cup joy to nation amid war against US

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleIran's team is due to travel to Mexico this weekend (AFP/Getty)Iran are preparing for the World Cup under unprecedented circumstances, as the nation is scheduled to play matches in the United States, a country with which it is currently at war, marking a unique situation in the tournament's history. Players like Saeid Ezatolahi and Mohammad Ghorbani acknowledged the difficulty of focusing on the competition amidst ongoing geopolitical tensions and news from their home country, which they admit can affect their mindset. The team faced logistical challenges, including visa processing difficulties that led to a change in their World Cup training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, after securing visas from the Mexican embassy in Ankara. Iran's initial matches will be played near Los Angeles, a city home to a significant Iranian community, with players expressing a desire to make their people proud and represent their country effectively. Mohammad Ghorbani highlighted the team's motivation to bring joy to Iranians who have faced difficulties, emphasising their unity and determination to showcase the strength of Iranian players and people to the world. In fullIran footballers open up on how war with US has affected their World Cup preparationsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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