Iran squad in race against time for World Cup readiness amid US-Israel war
Iran's national football team is facing challenges in preparing for the World Cup due to a prolonged suspension of their domestic league amid ongoing regional conflict. Head coach Amir Ghalenoei expressed concerns about the players' readiness, as many have not played competitively for weeks. The team is set to train in Turkiye and has scheduled friendly matches to improve their fitness before the tournament.
- ▪Iran's domestic football league has been suspended since March due to conflict involving the US and Israel.
- ▪Head coach Amir Ghalenoei noted that most players have not been in action for seven weeks.
- ▪The team will hold a training camp in Turkiye and play friendlies against The Gambia and Puerto Rico before the World Cup.
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Sport|World Cup 2026Iran squad in race against time for World Cup readiness amid US-Israel warWith Iran’s local football league suspended since March, most players in the squad have not been in action for months.ListenListen (2 mins)SaveClick here to share on social mediashare-nodesSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoIran's World Cup squad was given a public sendoff in Tehran last week [Vahid Salemi/AP]By ReutersPublished On 19 May 202619 May 2026Iran’s head coach Amir Ghalenoei believes his coaching and fitness staff would have their work cut out getting the squad ready for the World Cup at their training camp in Turkiye, with most of the players having been out of action for seven weeks.The country’s domestic Persian Gulf Pro League season was…
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