Due to the increasing tension and security risks in the Middle East, changes were made in the preparation program of the Iranian National Team. After the Iranian Ministry of Sports restricted travel to some countries for security reasons, Türkiye was preferred for the friendly matches. In this context, the Iranian National Team came to Antalya for the camp. The friendly match between Nigeria and Costa Rica, which was normally planned to be played in Jordan, was also moved to Antalya.
The Iranian National Football Team, who came to the ceremony of the match against Nigeria with children’s backpacks to draw attention to the attack on a primary school in Minab on February 28, in which 168 girls and their teachers lost their lives, and to the children who lost their lives in the war, carried out a similar action in the friendly match against Costa Rica.
The football players, who came to the ceremony with photographs of the children killed during the war, once again drew the attention of the world public to the civilian casualties and the plight of the children. While the national anthems were being sung, Iranian football players at the ceremony and the technical staff on the bench posed with photographs holding them on their chests.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino also followed this special match from the protocol tribune. Infantino, who came to the stands after the first whistle of the match, also met with the federation officials of the two countries.
