Iran squad in race against time for World Cup readiness amid US-Israel war

Iran’s local football league has been suspended since March, leaving most squad players without match action for months. The head coach expects significant work for the coaching and fitness staff to prepare the team for a World Cup training camp in Turkiye, with many players out of action for about seven weeks. The Persian Gulf Pro League season was suspended after attacks on February 28 that escalated regional conflict, and it will not resume until after the World Cup. Of a 30-man squad, 22 domestic-based players have been limited to a Tehran training camp since late-March friendlies. The coach believes a two-and-a-half to three-week camp can recover part of the fitness shortfall and aims to reach suitable physical conditions before the opening match.

"With Iran's local football league suspended since March, most players in the squad have not been in action for months. Iran'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."

"Naturally, I am not fully satisfied with the players' level of readiness, Ghalenoei told the Iranian federation's (FFIR) magazine before the departure for Turkiye 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 percent of this shortfall. We need to raise our domestic-based players to the level required by the modern game, he added."

"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 am not fully satisfied with the players' level of readiness, Ghalenoei told the Iranian federation's (FFIR) magazine before the departure for Turkiye on Monday."

"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 Turkiye, despite all the surrounding distractions and side issues, ha"

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