Overview
- Iran announced a 30-man preliminary roster on Saturday, with the team set for a training camp in Antalya to prepare and process U.S. visa paperwork before trimming to 26.
- Federation president Mehdi Taj said no U.S. visas have been issued, and players are slated to complete fingerprinting in Turkey as part of the application process.
- Taj added that the federation wants to avoid sending the squad on a long trip from Antalya to Ankara for biometrics, which could disrupt training plans.
- One warm-up match against Gambia has been confirmed in Antalya, with a second friendly still being arranged as the team finalizes its travel logistics.
- Forward Sardar Azmoun was left out of the list, and state news agency IRNA attributed the omission to injury after weeks of questions about his status, while the team plans a base in Tucson with group games in Los Angeles and Seattle.