Iran are heading to the World Cup while their country is at war with the primary host nation, a situation that is unique in the tournament's history.
In exclusive interviews with The Associated Press during a team camp in Turkey, two members of Iran's squad described how the conflict is affecting their World Cup preparations.
"Well, to be honest, it's not easy," said Saeid Ezatolahi, a 29-year-old midfielder who also played for Iran in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
"That's going to be my third World Cup. So for me and some of the other players, it might be easier to manage these kind of things," he said at training on Wednesday.
"But at the end ... it is going to be difficult for us because at the same time, we are following the news in our country and the political things, of course, can affect the mind of the players and the people."
