Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei says he and his staff face a demanding task preparing the squad for the World Cup during their training camp in Türkiye, with most players having been out of competitive action for about seven weeks.
The domestic Persian Gulf Pro League was suspended after U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran in late February and will not resume until after the tournament.
Of the 30-man squad named Saturday, 22 players are based in Iran and have remained in a national team training camp in Tehran 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 FA (FFIR) magazine before departing for Türkiye on Monday.
“But with a training camp of about two and a half to three weeks, we can make up roughly 20 to 25% of this shortfall.
“We need to raise our domestic-based players to the level required by the modern game,” he said. “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 Türkiye camp with determination and optimism.”
Iran will play Gambia in a friendly on May 29 before Ghalenoei names his final 26-man World Cup squad by the FIFA deadline on June 1.
The FFIR still hopes to schedule another friendly in Türkiye and will play a behind-closed-doors match against Puerto Rico at its U.S. base in Arizona, provided it is able to enter the country without issues.
“I hope that in the first four or five days before our opening World Cup match, we can reach suitable physical condition,” Ghalenoei said.
“The training camp in Türkiye, despite all the surrounding distractions and side issues, has become a crucial stage of our preparation.”
At the World Cup, Iran will face 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.
