Italy’s repechage to the World Cup, from'Iran so many greetings to the Azzurri: "We aim to pass the round"
Milad Mohammadi, the experienced left fullback of the Iranian national team, has participated in the last two editions of the World Cup and interviewed by local news agency Irna threw it straight to the epic: “The uniform of the Iranian national soccer team is sacred and it is the dream of every player to wear it. When he receives this great honor, he tries with all his heart to give his best and, in other words, to commit himself 100 percent.”
“It should be emphasized that at the World Cup, even with the increase in participating teams, there are no weak opponents,” he added. “Those who qualified did so with merit. In our group, all three teams we will be up against have important qualities and none of them start as favorites or already defeated. I know our opponents quite well and I am sure that in the coming days the technical staff will analyze everything in detail to give us the right tools to understand them thoroughly. The key thing, however, will be not to underestimate anyone and to always give our best in every match so that we can do something important and get through the round.”
Words full of determination, those of Mohammadi, which come at a time that is anything but serene for Iranian soccer. The outfielder himself was recently immortalized in a photo shoot wearing Team Melli’s new home jersey for the 2026 World Cup, made by Iranian brand Majid: a predominantly white uniform with a subtle textured pattern in the sleeves and the colors of the national flag – green, white and red – on the back of the collar and on the cuffs. The images, posted on the national team’s official Instagram account, also show the players engaged in training sessions at an undisclosed location, confirming that preparation is proceeding smoothly.
The path to the World Cup, however, is lined with obstacles far greater than those encountered on the field. Iran’s participation in the World Cup in Canada, the United States and Mexico remains shrouded in uncertainty due to geopolitical tensions in the Persian Gulf. FIFA has summoned an Iranian delegation to Zurich by May 20 for a decisive meeting with President Gianni Infantino to finalize outstanding organizational and diplomatic issues. The president of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, has asked for firm guarantees after a series of incidents that have further complicated the picture, including the sensational blockade at the Canadian border that prevented him from attending the FIFA Congress in Vancouver.
Iran is placed in Group G along with New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt, and is scheduled to make its debut on June 15 in Los Angeles against New Zealand specifically. In the background, Italy is watching closely: in case of an Iranian forfeit, FIFA would be considering organizing a mini playoff tournament that would see the Azzurri among the participants by right, as the first European team excluded in the FIFA ranking. A hypothesis that, for now, remains as such, with Iran’s technical commissioner Ghalenoei reiterating in no uncertain terms, “There is no reason not to participate in the World Cup. God willing, we will do it.”
