As the 2026 World Cup gets closer, and tension in the middle east continues to build,Iran’s men’s national football team has begun preparations in southern Turkey for warm up matches, holding tightly controlled training sessions
Reports indicate that the team trained on Wednesday in Belek, a resort town near the Mediterranean city of Antalya, where access for journalists was heavily restricted. Officials said the move was aimed at limiting distractions before fixtures described as vital to the side’s World Cup build up.
Current matters understands that Iran’s football federation is also in discussions with global governing body FIFA about relocating its World Cup matches to Mexico instead of the US due to safety concerns, federation president Mehdi Taj said last week.
Iranian team officials have kept a deliberately low public profile as preparations intensify, amid expectations of heightened political and media attention at the tournament.
The team is set to play two friendlies in Antalya, facing Nigeria on Friday and Costa Rica on Tuesday. The matches were originally scheduled to take place in Jordan but were moved to Turkey following the outbreak of the Iran war.
