Under the leadership of Mehdi Taj, the head of Iran’s Football Federation, the national team pressed forward with its World Cup preparations ahead of the October 6 kickoff. Taj confirmed that plans were in place for a friendly against Russia, a move intended to sharpen the squad in advance of the tournament, as reported by ISNA.
Taj stated that Iran would stage a friendly with the Russian national team to fine‑tune the squad before the World Cup on October 6, a step meant to give players valuable international exposure and test versatility in the lead‑up to the tournament.
In late March, Russia posted decisive results at Moscow’s VTB Arena, securing wins over Zambia and Grenada. The two fixtures were part of a busy period for the Russian side, with matches played at the same venue in the Russian capital. Both games contributed to a growing confidence in the squad ahead of further fixtures and national team plans.
Against Zambia, Maxim Glushenkov opened the scoring in the 8th minute. In the first half, Ilya Vahany stood out with a notable contribution in the 44th minute. In the 54th and 58th minutes, Glushenkov added a second and third goal, completing a remarkable hat-trick, while Alexei Batrakov sealed the final score in the 73rd minute to cap a comprehensive victory.
An online report noted these performances and the surrounding context of the matches, tying them to broader discussions around Russia’s schedule and results at the time.
In 2023, Russia defeated Cuba 8-0, and in 2024 Valery Karpin’s team played five matches against Serbia, Belarus, Vietnam, Brunei and Syria, illustrating a compact but active calendar in the build‑up to major competitions.
Earlier reports indicated that some players from Russia’s youth team could not depart Colombia, highlighting a travel challenge that affected parts of the broader program and its planning for future campaigns.