ANTALYA, Türkiye (AP) — Excluded from Iran’s World Cup soccer squad what seemed like a political decisionformer star forward Sardar Azmun posts support for teammate on social media on Tuesday.
The Iranian squad, who play for their home clubs, arrived in Turkey on Monday for an extended training camp ahead of traveling to the United States in early June. they are get ready to play Three group stage games were played in Inglewood, California and Seattle.
Azmoun, who played in the past two World Cups, has not been selected since March, when he posted a photo on social media that angered Iranian authorities. war With America and Israel.
“I wish you all the best,” Azmoun wrote in Persian on his Instagram account, which has 5.8 million followers. “It is true that I am not with you, but you are my friend and there is no reason not to wish you success.”
Azmoun, 31, is one of Iranian football’s greats, scoring 57 goals in 91 appearances.
Azmoun currently plays for Shabab Al Ahli club in Dubai. In March, he posted a photo of himself with Emirati leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, but it was later deleted.
The United Arab Emirates has normalized diplomatic relations with Israel since 2020, and has been the target of Iranian drones in the regional conflict that began on February 28.
“Many people are trying to bring me down, but what is being said is simply not true,” Azmoun wrote on Tuesday.
Türkiye’s soccer home
Iran’s home-based players have not played a competitive match since February as the domestic league was shut down during the war.
They returned to the Turkish coastal resort of Antalya for two warm-up matches in March. Meeting with FIFA President Gianni Infantino To talk about the logistical and political challenges of entering the United States and playing the game.
A follow-up meeting between Iranian soccer leaders and FIFA officials in Istanbul on Saturday did not announce any guarantees regarding obtaining a visa to enter the United States.
US President Donald Trump The administration promised in January Exemptions from the travel ban will be given to athletes and coaches visiting for major sporting events, but not to other officials.
The Iranian delegation is scheduled to arrive at a training base in Tucson, Arizona, between June 5th and 10th.
iran world cup match
The team’s opening game will be against New Zealand on June 15th at Los Angeles Rams Stadium, and they will also face Belgium. Iran concluded group play against Egypt on June 26th as they officially celebrated LGBTQ+ Pride in Seattle. Both Iranian and Egyptian football federations protest To plan.
Iranian soccer officials are also calling on FIFA to ban flags dating back to before the 1979 Islamic Revolution from stadiums where teams play. FIFA’s World Cup regulations typically only allow fans to display the current flags of the 211 member federations.
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
