Teymourian: Iran has a chance to advance at the World Cup

Wanaen.com – TEHRAN, Andranik Teymourian, assistant coach of Iran’s national football team, said Iran has a realistic chance of progressing to the later stages of the FIFA World Cup, while also revealing that several players may miss the team’s upcoming training camp in Turkey.

Speaking about the national team’s preparations, Teymourian said the coaching staff had been closely monitoring players in recent weeks and designing training sessions based on their physical condition. He added that the squad had completed several weeks of productive training camps and intra-squad matches were organized under head coach Amir Ghalenoei’s plan due to the delayed start of the domestic league season.

Teymourian also confirmed that the preliminary squad list would be announced within the next couple of days, noting that a few players are unlikely to travel with the team to Turkey. According to him, the final decision depends on Ghalenoei’s technical assessment.

The former Iran international said the team had focused heavily on defensive, midfield and attacking drills during recent sessions, although more time is needed to turn weaknesses into strengths. He expressed hope that the Turkey camp would help the squad reach full readiness ahead of the World Cup.

Regarding friendly matches, Teymourian revealed that two scheduled warm-up games were canceled at the last minute. At present, a match against Gambia has been finalized, while talks are ongoing over a possible friendly against Puerto Rico.

He also voiced optimism about Iran’s chances at the World Cup, saying the entire squad hopes to reach the tournament’s advanced stages and believes Iran has the potential to do so.

Commenting on the upcoming AFC Asian Cup, Teymourian described Iran’s draw as favorable but stressed that it is still too early to focus on the continental tournament. He said the team’s immediate priority is achieving a strong result at the World Cup before shifting attention to the Asian Cup.

Teymourian added that more new faces are expected to join the national team after the World Cup, although the current squad already benefits from a balanced mix of experienced and younger players.