Iran is going to the World Cup while war is still happening with the main host nation. This is very unusual in World Cup history.

Two Iran players said the war is making their World Cup preparation hard. Saeid Ezatolahi said he and other players follow the news from home, and this can affect their minds. Mohammad Ghorbani said the team must still practice and get ready for the games.

The team has been in Turkey for more than two weeks. They trained in Antalya and some players went to Ankara for visa papers at the U.S. embassy. The team will travel to Mexico this weekend after getting visas from the Mexican embassy.

Iran will play its first two games near Los Angeles, where many Iranian people live. Ezatolahi said the team expects many fans and a lot of pressure. He said the players want to make their people proud.

Ghorbani said the team is playing for the people of Iran. Iran will play New Zealand on June 15, Belgium on June 21, and Egypt on June 26.