Iran to play Mali in 2026 World Cup preparation

The Iranian football federation confirmed the fixture, which follows a warm-up match against Gambia on May 29.

 “Iran’s national football team will face Mali on June 4 in its second friendly match of the Antalya training camp in Turkey,” it said in a statement.

Team Melli arrived in Turkey on Monday to begin preparations and to complete visa formalities ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to Vatan News.

 Iran are drawn in Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand. They open their campaign against the All Whites on June 15 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, before facing Belgium and Egypt later in the group stage.

With the tournament fast approaching, Iran’s back-to-back friendlies against African opposition — Gambia and Mali — are aimed at fine-tuning tactics and squad selection as they look to make a deep run in what will be their third consecutive World Cup appearance.

MNA