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Children dribbled across the pitch at a football academy in Tehran as coaches shouted instructions, with staff saying World Cup excitement was bringing young players back after months of war.
The conflict between Iran and the United States kept many youngsters away from training, but coaches at the academy said football’s biggest tournament had encouraged them to return.
“Because of the war situation, our numbers have been lower than in previous years,” said Mohammad Ghiasi, a veteran football administrator who oversees youth programmes at the facility.
“But now that Iran has qualified for the World Cup, thank God, registrations have picked up significantly,” Ghiasi told AFP, adding that the academy still has “several hundred students”.
Iran’s national team, known as Team Melli, was among the first countries to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and Iran’s long-time rival, the United States.
Excitement surrounding the tournament has grown as Iran seeks to reach the World Cup knockout stage for the first time.
Team Melli began its campaign with a 2-2 draw against New Zealand and will face Belgium in its second Group G match on Sunday before taking on Egypt.
The team’s participation has been overshadowed by logistical disputes that forced it to relocate its training base from Arizona to the Mexican border city of Tijuana. Iranian officials also said 15 members of the delegation were denied US visas.
The war began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, prompting retaliatory attacks by Tehran against Israel and US allies in the region.
A deal reached this month between Tehran and Washington is expected to end the conflict, which lasted more than five weeks before a ceasefire was agreed in early April.
‘More Enthusiastic’
The fighting disrupted education across Iran, with many programmes suspended or moved online, affecting attendance at sports academies.
Ghiasi estimated that between 400 and 500 youngsters have continued attending programmes at the academy despite the conflict.
Coach Peyman Eghbali said attendance dropped sharply during the height of the fighting but has begun recovering as the World Cup takes centre stage.
“Conditions are gradually improving, and I’m confident that after the World Cup — especially if the Iranian national team gets a good result — things will improve even more,” he told AFP.
“Families and children will become more enthusiastic, and registration numbers will definitely increase.”
Coach Ebrahim Alavi also said interest among children had “multiplied” as the tournament approached.
“We’re seeing many more people coming to football schools and wanting to play the game,” he said.
Parents watching the training sessions shared similar optimism.
“Honestly, there’s a lot of anxiety and uncertainty these days,” said Zeinab Bahari, whose son trains at the academy.
“But at least because of the tournament, some of the tension has eased,” she told AFP.
She said she hoped the national team would produce a performance capable of inspiring the next generation of footballers.
“Hopefully they’ll be successful and make our country proud.”
