FIFA World Cup 2026 | Iran target fitness revival at Turkey camp after war-enforced break

Iran will play Gambia in a friendly on May 29 ‌before coach Amir Ghalenoei names his final 26-man squad for the World Cup campaign by the FIFA deadline on June 1.

Iran's football coach Amir Ghalenoei said he and ​his staff would have their work cut out getting their squad ready for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at their training camp in Turkey with most of the players ⁠having been out of action for the last seven weeks.

At the FIFA World ​Cup 2026, Iran are drawn in Group B along with New Zealand, Belgium and Egtpy. They will take on ​New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21 in Los Angeles before rounding out ​their group fixtures against Egypt five days later in Seattle.

The domestic Persian Gulf ⁠Pro League season was suspended after the United States ‌and Israel launched air strikes ​on Iran in late February and will not resume until after the World Cup.

Of the 30-man squad Ghalenoei named on Saturday, 22 play for Iranian clubs and have been restricted to a Tehran national team training camp ​since friendlies against Costa Rica ⁠and Nigeria in Antalya in late March.

"Naturally, I'm not fully satisfied with the players' level of readiness," Ghalenoei told the Iranian FA (FFIR) magazine before the departure for Turkey on Monday.

"But with a ⁠training camp ‌that is approximately two and a half to three weeks long, we can make up about 20 to 25% ‌of this shortfall.

"We need to raise our domestic-based players to the level required by the ⁠modern game," he added. "In terms of age profile, I believe our domestic players are in a good ‌position, but there are still areas that need improvement.

"We must ‌continue our work in the Turkey camp with determination and ‌optimism."

Iran will play Gambia in a friendly on May 29 ‌before Ghalenoei names his final 26-man squad for the World Cup campaign by the FIFA deadline on June 1.

The FFIR still hope to schedule another friendly in Turkey ⁠and will play ⁠a behind-closed-doors match against Puerto Rico at their US base in Arizona, providing they are able to enter the country without any issues.

"I hope that in the first four or five days before our opening World Cup match, we can reach suitable physical conditions," Ghalenoei said.

"The training camp in Turkey, despite all the surrounding distractions and side ​issues, has become a crucial stage of our preparation."

(With inputs from agencies)