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"Thousands of Iranians gathered in Tehran's Revolution Square on Wednesday for a vibrant farewell ceremony as the national football team prepares to depart for the 2026 World Cup. The squad will head to a training camp in Turkey before travelling to the United States for the tournament’s group stages. Footage from the event shows residents waving the Iranian national flag and cheering as the players took to the stage. “I ask my dear national team brothers to play this 90 minutes with all their hearts for Iran, and the result is not important. What matters is that they can show their strength and courage on the field. Iranians are always the winners,” said fan Godard. “My expectation of the national team is that they perform very powerfully, and that they would be so kind as to sing the Iranian national anthem beautifully, clearly, and powerfully, give a military salute, and sing it with pride," said fellow fan Raya. Despite the jubilation, many attendees expressed caution about the host nation, given heightened geopolitical tensions that had previously cast doubt on the logistical arrangements for the team's involvement. “This regime [US], like the accursed, fabricated regime of Israel, has problems with all people, with all the oppressed in the world. Fairness is not expected from the arrogant, therefore, we not only do not expect justice from them, but any event is possible,” said attendee Dayani. It comes after, on March 12, US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social: “the Iranian national football team is welcome at the World Cup, but I don’t think their presence there is appropriate, for their safety and well-being.” Amir Mehdi Alavi, the spokesperson for the Iranian Football Federation, criticised the President’s comments, accusing him of "injecting politics into sports" and questioning the host nation's commitment to security. Despite these diplomatic frictions, FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed during a conference in Vancouver earlier this month that “Iran will play its matches in the United States.” Iran has been drawn in Group G and is scheduled to play all its group-stage matches on American soil."
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