Iran’s national football team faces a World Cup like no other, with the country at war with tournament co-host the United States. Midfielders Saeid Ezatolahi and Mohammad Ghorbani described how the conflict, which erupted on February 28 and remains under an uneasy April 8 ceasefire, is disrupting preparations and weighing on the squad.

“It’s not easy. At the same time we are following the news in our country and the political things can affect the mind of the players,” Ezatolahi, 29, told the Associated Press during a training camp in Turkey. The three-time World Cup participant said the team must channel the pressure into pride for the Iranian people.

Visa complications forced the team to abandon a training base in Tucson, Arizona, and relocate to Tijuana, Mexico. The squad spent more than two weeks in Antalya, Turkey, before the Mexican embassy in Ankara issued entry permits on Thursday. Iran’s first two matches will be played near Los Angeles, home to a large Iranian diaspora, where the team expects both fervent support and elevated expectations.

Ghorbani, 24, said the squad was focused on bringing joy to a population scarred by war. “We know our people have been going through a lot of difficulties, and we are going there for them,” he said.

The US-Israel assault killed Iran’s supreme leader and other senior officials. Iran retaliated with strikes on Israel, US forces and Gulf Arab states, and has maintained a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, threatening global energy flows. Despite the nominal truce, no permanent ceasefire is in sight.

Iran must enter the US one day before its opening match against New Zealand on June 15, followed by Belgium on June 21 and Egypt on June 26. Ezatolahi insisted the team must “clear up our minds and be fresh because our duty is to fight for our people.” The World Cup begins on June 11.