Iran Beats Mali in Last World Cup Warm-up Before Heading to Tijuana
Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Iran's national football team secured a 2-0 victory against Mali in a friendly match in Türkiye, concluding their warm-up games before the World Cup.
- The team faces uncertainty regarding their participation in the tournament due to visa issues for matches in the United States.
- Despite visa concerns for the US, the squad received visas for Mexico and will depart for their base in Tijuana on Saturday.
Iran's national football team, known as Team Melli, heads to their World Cup base with a morale boost after defeating Mali 2-0 in a friendly. Goals from Saeid Ezatolahi and Ramin Rezaeian sealed the victory in Antalya, Türkiye, marking their fourth friendly of the year with three wins and one loss.
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These matches represent the only competitive football for Iran-based players since domestic league suspension followed US and Israeli air strikes in February, which escalated regional conflict. While the squad has secured visas for their base in Mexico, uncertainty remains over their entry into the United States for group stage matches.
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Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum agreed to host the team after US authorities expressed reservations about Iran staying in Arizona. However, the team still awaits visas for the US, a primary concern for the Iranian FA President Mehdi Taj as the tournament opener approaches. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated there would be no issue with the squad entering the country, but officials with ties to the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) would be barred.
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Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.