Iran begin their World Cup preparations with a 3-1 friendly win over Gambia in Turkey. Sources report that the match is part of Iran’s early build-up ahead of their group-stage fixtures. After the victory, Iran plan further friendlies as part of their schedule. One source states that Iran will play Mali in another friendly next Thursday, continuing their preparation period. Another source adds that the team is awaiting US visas for their World Cup group stage matches, indicating administrative steps still needed before competition begins. Together, the reports describe a short sequence of warm-up games: a first friendly against Gambia that ends in a comfortable 3-1 result, followed by another planned match against Mali, while visa processing is underway for upcoming group-stage games. No additional details on scorers, venues beyond Turkey, or match events are provided in the two summaries.