Iran will play their final World Cup warm-up against Mali behind closed doors in Antalya, Turkiye, on Thursday, the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran said.
The FFIRI said the friendly would take place without media attendance due to Iran’s head coach’s tactical plans. The squad will then leave for Mexico on Saturday.
Iran has been trained in Antalya during two camps since the start of the war. During that spell, they lost to Nigeria and beat Costa Rica and Gambia.
Meanwhile, FIFA allowed Iran to move their tournament base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico. From there, the team will travel across the border for their first two group matches in Los Angeles.
Iran will face New Zealand on June 15 in their opening match. The team will also play Belgium before meeting Egypt in Seattle.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington had “no problem” with Iran’s players entering the United States.
Read: Iran FIFA 2026 Participation Hinges on IRGC Guarantee
However, he said officials or staff with links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps would face restrictions.
The United States and Canada classify the IRGC as a terrorist entity. Canada had earlier denied FFIRI President Mehdi Taj entry to the FIFA Congress due to alleged links to the force.
