Iran's Football Team Heads to Turkey for World Cup Prep

Iran's national football team, known as Team Melli, will travel to Turkey on Monday for a training camp in preparation for the World Cup. The squad, which will include 30 players, is set to be trimmed to a maximum of 26 ahead of the tournament.

Head coach Amir Ghalenoei stated that the selection of players is based solely on technical criteria. Among the notable players is 33-year-old Mehdi Taremi, a former Porto striker.

The team is expected to play two friendly matches in Antalya, with one confirmed against Gambia on May 29. Mehdi Taj, the head of the Iranian Football Federation, mentioned that players will undergo fingerprinting as part of the visa process, which is necessary for their trip to Turkey.

The squad will later establish a base camp in Tucson, Arizona, before their World Cup campaign begins against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, followed by a match against Belgium in Seattle.