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#Iran #government #mens #soccer #team #preparing #proud #participation #World #Cup">Iran government says men’s soccer team is preparing for ’proud participation’ at World Cup in US An Iranian government spokesperson says the men’s national team is preparing for “proud and successful participation” in its World Cup games in the United States.
Iran’s ability and willingness to go to the World Cup across north America starting June 11 has been unclear since the U.S. and Israel launched military attacks Feb. 28.
“The Ministry of Youth and Sports made an announcement about the full preparedness of our national football team for presence in the 2026 World Cup in the U.S., by the order of the minister,” Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohejerani told Iran’s state TV on Wednesday.
FIFA has consistently said Iran will stick to the World Cup game schedule decided last December, and refused to negotiate any suggestion of playing the team’s games in Mexico.
Progress was made March 31 when FIFA President Gianni Infantino went to meet Iranian football leaders and players in Turkey where the team had two warmup games.
Though the Iranian football league has shut down during the war, the team’s official Instagram account posted photos this week of a practice in Tehran.
Mohejerani added Wednesday “the necessary arrangements that these dear ones need for the team’s proud and successful participation, (have been made).”
Infantino promised the Iranian team three weeks ago he would help find a training camp outside of the country for the team to prepare for the World Cup. That could also be in Turkey, where Iran played warmup games last month in Antalya against Nigeria and Costa Rica.
FIFA did not immediately confirm details Wednesday of a possible camp being organized.
Iran is scheduled to play two group-stage games at the Los Angeles Rams’ stadium in Inglewood — against New Zealand and Belgium — then face Egypt in Seattle.
The team is due to arrive at its training camp in Tucson, Arizona no later than June 10, which is at least five days before its first game as required by FIFA’s World Cup rules.
A key issue to be resolved is the U.S. government giving entry visas to the Iranian delegation including football federation president Mehdi Taj. He is a vice president of the Asian football body who was barred from attending the World Cup draw in December in Washington D.C., where Infantino presented U.S. President Donald Trump with the specially created FIFA Peace Prize.
Mexico and Canada are co-hosting the 48-nation tournament that runs through July 19.
Published on Apr 23, 2026
An Iranian government spokesperson says the men’s national team is preparing for “proud and successful…
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#Premier #League #Newcastle #continues #sink #Wolves #brink #relegation">Premier League 2025-26: Newcastle continues to sink; Wolves on brink of relegation
Newcastle has plunged into its most challenging period since the club was bought by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.
A 2-1 home loss to Bournemouth on Saturday was a third straight defeat in the Premier League for Newcastle, which is languishing in 14th place in the 20-team top flight with five games remaining in the campaign. The team received boos at full time.
It leaves Newcastle manager Eddie Howe — hired in November 2021, weeks after the takeover by Saudi’s Public Investment Fund — under increasing pressure, with the club not giving any assurances he’ll be in charge beyond this season.
At St. James’ Park, Adrien Truffert broke a tie in the 85th minute with his first Premier League goal to win the game for eighth-place Bournemouth, which is unbeaten in 13 straight league matches — including six wins.
Marcus Tavernier turned in Rayan’s cross across the goalmouth in the 32nd minute to put the Cherries ahead. Will Osula equalized in the 68th minute after an initial offside call was overturned in a video review.
Wolverhampton lost 3-0 at Leeds and will be relegated if third-to-last Tottenham beats Brighton later Saturday.
Wolves, who have just 17 points from 33 games, have been in the Premier League for the past eight seasons.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted a stoppage-time penalty to round off the win after early goals by James Justin — with a bicycle kick — and Noah Okafor. Leeds moved nine points clear of the relegation zone.
Brentford’s Caoimhin Kelleher and Brentford’s Nathan Collins react after the match against Fulham.
| Photo Credit:
Reuters
Brentford’s Caoimhin Kelleher and Brentford’s Nathan Collins react after the match against Fulham.
| Photo Credit:
Reuters
Brentford failed to boost its unlikely Champions League qualification hopes by drawing a fifth straight game in the Premier League, this time 0-0 at home to Fulham.
Brentford could have climbed above Chelsea, which plays Manchester United later, and into sixth place with a win but missed a slew of chances. Top scorer Igor Thiago hit the goal frame.
Published on Apr 18, 2026
Brentford’s Caoimhin Kelleher and Brentford’s Nathan Collins react after the match against Fulham. | Photo Credit: Reuters
Brentford’s Caoimhin Kelleher and Brentford’s Nathan Collins react after the match against Fulham. | Photo Credit: Reuters
Newcastle has plunged into its most challenging period since the club was bought by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.
A 2-1 home loss to Bournemouth on Saturday was a third straight defeat in the Premier League for Newcastle, which is languishing in 14th place in the 20-team top flight with five games remaining in the campaign. The team received boos at full time.
It leaves Newcastle manager Eddie Howe — hired in November 2021, weeks after the takeover by Saudi’s Public Investment Fund — under increasing pressure, with the club not giving any assurances he’ll be in charge beyond this season.
At St. James’ Park, Adrien Truffert broke a tie in the 85th minute with his first Premier League goal to win the game for eighth-place Bournemouth, which is unbeaten in 13 straight league matches — including six wins.
Marcus Tavernier turned in Rayan’s cross across the goalmouth in the 32nd minute to put the Cherries ahead. Will Osula equalized in the 68th minute after an initial offside call was overturned in a video review.
Wolverhampton lost 3-0 at Leeds and will be relegated if third-to-last Tottenham beats Brighton later Saturday.
Wolves, who have just 17 points from 33 games, have been in the Premier League for the past eight seasons.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted a stoppage-time penalty to round off the win after early goals by James Justin — with a bicycle kick — and Noah Okafor. Leeds moved nine points clear of the relegation zone.
Brentford’s Caoimhin Kelleher and Brentford’s Nathan Collins react after the match against Fulham. | Photo Credit: Reuters
Brentford’s Caoimhin Kelleher and Brentford’s Nathan Collins react after the match against Fulham. | Photo Credit: Reuters
Brentford failed to boost its unlikely Champions League qualification hopes by drawing a fifth straight game in the Premier League, this time 0-0 at home to Fulham.
Brentford could have climbed above Chelsea, which plays Manchester United later, and into sixth place with a win but missed a slew of chances. Top scorer Igor Thiago hit the goal frame.
Published on Apr 18, 2026
Newcastle has plunged into its most challenging period since the club was bought by Saudi…
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#Aston #Villa #sets #allEnglish #Europa #League #semifinal #Nottingham #Forest">Aston Villa sets up all-English Europa League semifinal against Nottingham Forest
Ollie Watkins scored again as Aston Villa knocked out Bologna out of the Europa League in a 4-0 rout on Thursday to set up an all-English semifinal against Nottingham Forest.
Unai Emery’s team reached its second European semifinal in three seasons with a 7-1 aggregate victory.
Watkins had netted twice in last week’s 3-1 win in the first leg of the quarterfinal in Italy, and the striker set the pace at Villa Park.
He tapped in a low cross from the left provided by Morgan Rogers for a 1-0 lead after 16 minutes for his 100th goal for Villa.
Rogers had a golden opportunity to increase the lead but Bologna goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia saved his penalty kick.
Only a minute later, though, Villa doubled its lead when Emiliano Buendía scored from a tight angle.
READ | Watkins strikes twice for Aston Villa in 3-1 win at Bologna
Rogers made it 3-0 with another angled shot in the 39th, and Ezri Konsa finished the scoring seconds before the final whistle.
Villa reached the Champions League quarterfinals last season and is on course to secure a spot in the lucrative top-tier competition next campaign while sitting fourth in the Premier League.
Forest made the semifinals by beating 10-man Porto 1-0 in what’s been a successful return to European competition after a 30-year absence. It advanced 2-1 on aggregate after last week’s draw in Portugal.
Morgan Gibbs-White put the hosts ahead in the 12th minute with a deflected effort from outside the box after Porto defender Jan Bednarek was sent off for fouling Chris Wood, who then had to be substituted with a knee injury.
Wood is a key striker for relegation-threatened Nottingham — and New Zealand’s World Cup plans — and only recently returned from a long-term knee injury.
Porto has never beaten a Premier League club in England in 24 attempts.
The last time Nottingham reached a European semifinal was in 1984 in the UEFA Cup.
Freiburg marched into the semifinals by beating Celta Vigo 3-1.
The Bundesliga team reached the last four in a European competition for the first time on a 6-1 aggregate score after last week’s 3-0 victory in the first leg of the quarterfinal.
Freiburg has scored 11 goals in its last three games in the second-tier competition.
Igor Matanović put Freiburg 1-0 up with a stunning left-footed volley from outside the area. Yuito Suzuki doubled the advantage with a deflected shot late in the first half and then beat goalkeeper Ionut Radu after interval.
Williot Swedberg’s consolation goal came in stoppage time for the Spanish hosts.
Freiburg’s next opponent will be Braga, which came from two goals down to win 4-2 at Real Betis after those teams were tied 1-1 from the first leg.
Crystal Palace clinched a last-four spot in the third-tier Conference League despite a 2-1 loss to Fiorentina in Florence.
Palace advanced 4-2 on aggregate after a 3-0 home win in the first leg to meet Ukraine’s Shakhtar, which advanced past AZ Alkmaar on Thursday.
Strasbourg and Rayo Vallecano also advanced.
Italy’s football crisis only worsened with European exits for Bologna and Fiorentina.
As a result, Italy doesn’t have any club in a European semifinal for the first time in seven years.
That came after after Atalanta — the only Italian club to reach the Champions League round of 16 — was eliminated in a whopping 10-2 aggregate loss to Bayern Munich.
Published on Apr 17, 2026
Ollie Watkins scored again as Aston Villa knocked out Bologna out of the Europa League in a 4-0 rout on Thursday to set up an all-English semifinal against Nottingham Forest.
Unai Emery’s team reached its second European semifinal in three seasons with a 7-1 aggregate victory.
Watkins had netted twice in last week’s 3-1 win in the first leg of the quarterfinal in Italy, and the striker set the pace at Villa Park.
He tapped in a low cross from the left provided by Morgan Rogers for a 1-0 lead after 16 minutes for his 100th goal for Villa.
Rogers had a golden opportunity to increase the lead but Bologna goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia saved his penalty kick.
Only a minute later, though, Villa doubled its lead when Emiliano Buendía scored from a tight angle.
READ | Watkins strikes twice for Aston Villa in 3-1 win at Bologna
Rogers made it 3-0 with another angled shot in the 39th, and Ezri Konsa finished the scoring seconds before the final whistle.
Villa reached the Champions League quarterfinals last season and is on course to secure a spot in the lucrative top-tier competition next campaign while sitting fourth in the Premier League.
Forest made the semifinals by beating 10-man Porto 1-0 in what’s been a successful return to European competition after a 30-year absence. It advanced 2-1 on aggregate after last week’s draw in Portugal.
Morgan Gibbs-White put the hosts ahead in the 12th minute with a deflected effort from outside the box after Porto defender Jan Bednarek was sent off for fouling Chris Wood, who then had to be substituted with a knee injury.
Wood is a key striker for relegation-threatened Nottingham — and New Zealand’s World Cup plans — and only recently returned from a long-term knee injury.
Porto has never beaten a Premier League club in England in 24 attempts.
The last time Nottingham reached a European semifinal was in 1984 in the UEFA Cup.
Freiburg marched into the semifinals by beating Celta Vigo 3-1.
The Bundesliga team reached the last four in a European competition for the first time on a 6-1 aggregate score after last week’s 3-0 victory in the first leg of the quarterfinal.
Freiburg has scored 11 goals in its last three games in the second-tier competition.
Igor Matanović put Freiburg 1-0 up with a stunning left-footed volley from outside the area. Yuito Suzuki doubled the advantage with a deflected shot late in the first half and then beat goalkeeper Ionut Radu after interval.
Williot Swedberg’s consolation goal came in stoppage time for the Spanish hosts.
Freiburg’s next opponent will be Braga, which came from two goals down to win 4-2 at Real Betis after those teams were tied 1-1 from the first leg.
Crystal Palace clinched a last-four spot in the third-tier Conference League despite a 2-1 loss to Fiorentina in Florence.
Palace advanced 4-2 on aggregate after a 3-0 home win in the first leg to meet Ukraine’s Shakhtar, which advanced past AZ Alkmaar on Thursday.
Strasbourg and Rayo Vallecano also advanced.
Italy’s football crisis only worsened with European exits for Bologna and Fiorentina.
As a result, Italy doesn’t have any club in a European semifinal for the first time in seven years.
That came after after Atalanta — the only Italian club to reach the Champions League round of 16 — was eliminated in a whopping 10-2 aggregate loss to Bayern Munich.
Published on Apr 17, 2026
Ollie Watkins scored again as Aston Villa knocked out Bologna out of the Europa League…
