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RFE/RL: Iran’s soccer team first to arrive in Russia for World Cup

Published June 6, 2018 at 10:10 am

Iran's players, (front row, LtoR) midfielder Ehsan Hajsafi, midfielder Alireza Jahanbakhsh, midfielder Saeid Aghaei, forward Mehdi Taremi, defender Vouria Ghafouri, and (back row, LtoR) and defender Mohammad Reza Khanzadeh, midfielder Pejman Montazeri, forward Sardar Azmoun, Karim forward Ansarifard, midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi, and goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, pose for a team photo prior to the international friendly football match between Iran and Algeria at the Merkur Arena in Graz, Austria on March 27, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / JOE KLAMAR

Photo by AFP

Iran’s soccer team became the first to arrive in Russia for the World Cup on June 5, nine days before the opening match of the tournament, which runs from June 14 to July 15.

The team was welcomed at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport by the Moscow regional minister of sport, Roman Teryushkov.