分类： sports

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada draws near, Iran’s national men’s football team has embarked on the first leg of its journey to the tournament, departing for the Turkish coastal city of Antalya on Monday, according to local Iranian media reports. The trip is designed to serve two key purposes: finalize pre-tournament preparation through warm-up friendly matches, and complete long-delayed visa applications required to enter the U.S. for the global competition.

The 22-player squad, all currently based at domestic Iranian clubs, traveled alongside full coaching staff, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency confirmed. While in Antalya, the team is scheduled to hold at least two friendly matches, with a fixture against The Gambia already locked in for May 29, per Sam Mehdizadeh, an Iranian-Canadian sports executive who arranges exhibition matches for the Iranian national side.

Uncertainty has loomed over Iran’s participation for months, even after the team secured its place in the 48-nation tournament back in March 2025. The tension stems from a sharp escalation in hostilities between the U.S.-Israeli alliance and Iran dating back to February 28, when Washington launched a large-scale wave of offensive attacks against Tehran in what amounted to an open state of conflict. A ceasefire has paused active fighting for several weeks, but recent events have reignited fears of a return to violence: fresh drone strikes targeting Gulf nations over the weekend, paired with new inflammatory rhetoric from U.S. President Donald Trump, have further destabilized the already fragile security environment.

Despite the geopolitical rift, top U.S. officials have repeatedly stated that Iranian players are welcome to compete in the tournament. FIFA has also reaffirmed that Iran’s participation will proceed as planned, rejecting a request from Iranian football authorities to relocate the team’s group stage matches to co-hosts Mexico or Canada. President Trump even publicly voiced support in late April, saying “I think let ‘em play.”

Still, significant bureaucratic hurdles remain. As of this week, no U.S. visas have been issued to the Iranian delegation, Iranian Football Federation chief Mehdi Taj confirmed to local media Thursday. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has already signaled that complications could arise for non-playing members of the delegation, noting that potential issues center on figures the U.S. suspects of ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which Washington has formally designated a terrorist organization. Taj himself is a former IRGC member, a designation that has already created friction: last month, the entire Iranian federation delegation abandoned a planned trip to the FIFA Congress in Canada after what they described as degrading treatment from Canadian immigration officials, who flagged Taj’s ties to the IRGC, which Canada also lists as a terrorist group.

Over the weekend, FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom held a high-stakes meeting with Iranian federation representatives in Turkey to work through outstanding logistics. Both sides characterized the discussion as constructive, offering a small glimmer of progress amid the ongoing uncertainty. If the delegation secures the required visas in time, Iran will set up its official pre-tournament base camp in Tucson, Arizona. The team is drawn into Group G, with its opening group stage match scheduled for June 15 against New Zealand in Los Angeles, followed by a second fixture against Belgium also in Los Angeles, and a final group game against Egypt in Seattle.

The team held an official send-off ceremony in Tehran last week, but even as players depart for preparation, questions about whether they will ultimately be allowed to step onto the pitch at the World Cup continue to hang over the campaign.

As Collingwood Football Club icon Scott Pendlebury stands on the cusp of breaking the Australian Football League’s all-time games record this Saturday, the veteran midfielder says he is focused on sticking to his usual routine rather than getting swept up in the hype surrounding the unprecedented milestone.

Pendlebury, who will notch his 433rd AFL appearance this weekend when Collingwood faces West Coast at a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground, acknowledged that the weeks-long lead-up to the record-breaking match has disrupted his consistent preparation rhythm. Still, the champion player confirmed he will pause to soak in the moment when he runs onto the ground, a habit he has cultivated throughout his decades-long career and shares as advice with young rising stars.

“I think one thing I have always done, I appreciate the game for what it is,” Pendlebury told reporters on Monday. “Every week regardless if it’s this week or not, I always take a moment to look around at the stands, find my family, try and say g’day. I always say to the young guys that ever play their first game, one bit of advice from me has got nothing to do with the game because you’re good enough. But when you get out here for the first time, look around, take a moment, just to take it all in because it’s pretty cool you’re achieving your dream. I still like that myself, I still feel like I’m achieving my dream every time I get to come out here.”

The 400-game club, which includes AFL legends Michael Tuck, Shaun Burgoyne, Brent Harvey, Dustin Fletcher and Kevin Bartlett, will welcome Pendlebury into its elite ranks with an unprecedented new mark when he takes the field Saturday. When asked about the milestone, Pendlebury added that he expects to wander the ground taking in the atmosphere before the match, saying “There will be a part where I come out here and probably look lost or whatever, but I’ll just be wandering and taking it all in.”

Collingwood has faced public criticism in recent weeks over how it has managed Pendlebury’s milestone schedule. The club rested the star midfielder in two consecutive matches leading up to Saturday’s game, which resulted in a draw against Hawthorn and a one-kick loss to an opponent, leaving fans and analysts questioning the decision to bench their leader for those contests. But Pendlebury has thrown his full support behind the club’s planned timeline, noting he was never likely to play against the Hawks even without the milestone context.

“It’s an interesting one, we planned out at the start of the year a schedule to manage me for the whole season,” Pendlebury explained. “I’ve spoken about this before, but we’ve taken the long view of getting through the whole season. I certainly didn’t plan to have an achilles injury round 3 or 4. There was no chance, it was funny, I think I seen somewhere that I was moving well before the Hawthorn game. If you had of seen my GPS and top speed, you would probably run faster than me that day. I am comfortable with where it sits and I am really looking forward to Saturday.”

The milestone match will see Pendlebury wear a special gold number on his Collingwood guernsey to mark the historic occasion, with thousands of fans expected to pack the MCG to witness the record-breaking moment.

The FIFA World Cup has long been the ultimate launchpad for young football talent, turning promising prospects into household global names overnight. As the 2026 tournament co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada approaches, AFP Sport has profiled five standout young players widely tipped to emerge as the competition’s next breakout superstar.

First up is 21-year-old Nico Paz, a product of the Real Madrid academy who currently plies his trade at Italian side Como. Though born and raised in Spain, the son of former Argentina international Pablo Paz chose to represent the reigning World Cup champions. Over the past two seasons working under manager Cesc Fabregas at Como, Paz’s game has developed rapidly, with Real Madrid already preparing to trigger their buyback clause to bring the youngster back to the Spanish capital. Renowned for his polished technical skill and deadly long-range finishing, Paz has drawn attention from top clubs across Europe. For Argentina, he could step into a critical role: with coach Lionel Scaloni expected to manage 38-year-old Lionel Messi’s minutes carefully during the side’s title defense, Paz may face the high-pressure task of filling the legendary forward’s shoes.

Next is 20-year-old France winger Desire Doue, who has already proven his quality on the biggest club stage. Last season, he claimed the man-of-the-match award and netted twice in Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League final thumping of Inter Milan. The 2026 World Cup will mark his first appearance at a major senior international tournament, however. Doue faces stiff competition just to earn a starting spot in Didier Deschamps’ deep attacking corps, which already includes Kylian Mbappe, Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele and Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise. But he gave Deschamps a clear reminder of his potential in March, scoring his first two international goals during a 3-1 friendly win over Colombia.

For hosts England, 21-year-old Nico O’Reilly has emerged as a potential breakout candidate after earning the trust of Pep Guardiola to become a regular starter at treble-winning Manchester City. Originally a goal-scoring midfielder, O’Reilly has been converted into an attacking left-back by Guardiola, who has leveraged his unique combination of height, pace and technical skill to create a dangerous offensive weapon from deep positions. His emergence could also solve a long-standing problem for England manager Thomas Tuchel: during the Three Lions’ run to the Euro 2024 final, the side spent most of the tournament without a fit natural left-back after Luke Shaw’s injury. Guardiola has been full of praise for the youngster’s rapid rise, saying: “What a player. He has made an incredible step up and he has had a lot of minutes, but he deserves it.”

Brazil’s 19-year-old Endrick, one of the most hyped teenage prospects in the world, is also primed for a breakout. The prodigy made his Palmeiras debut at 16 and was signed by Real Madrid before he turned 18, and his chances of shining at the World Cup have been boosted by a successful loan spell at French side Lyon that has reignited his scoring form. Endrick made history two years ago when he scored the match-winning goal against Brazil at Wembley, becoming the Seleção’s youngest goalscorer since Ronaldo Nazário. After a slow start following his agreement to join Real Madrid, the forward has found his touch in front of goal since moving to Lyon in January 2026. Frequently compared to Brazilian legend Romario thanks to his low, powerful build, Endrick will be hoping to replicate the great’s 1994 World Cup success, when Romario scored five goals to lead Brazil to title on U.S. soil.

Rounding out the list is Spain’s Pedri, the 23-year-old midfield playmaker who has already been hailed as the natural heir to Barcelona and Spain legend Xavi Hernandez. Pedri first announced himself to the world as an 18-year-old at Euro 2020, and was a key part of Spain’s Euro 2024 title run before a hamstring injury ruled him out of the semi-final and final matches. At the club level, Pedri has put his past fitness issues behind him under Barcelona manager Hansi Flick, starring in the side’s back-to-back La Liga title triumphs over the past two seasons. With a full bill of health heading into the 2026 World Cup, Pedri is widely expected to anchor Spain’s title challenge and cement his status as one of the world’s top midfielders.