Iran’s FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign has been nothing short of a turmoil. The team was asked to leave the United States right after they played their World Cup opener against New Zealand, Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei confirmed after the 2-2 stalemate at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
The coach claimed that his team has been “the most repressed team in the whole World Cup,” highlighting the effects of the war with the US and Israel, which began on February 28 earlier this year.ย
Iran coach sits down after 2-2 stalemate
Iran managed to survive a scare from a much lower-ranked New Zealand side in the opener after being a goal down twice. Strikes from Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebbi salvaged a draw for the team, which entered the tournament ranked 20th, 65 places above the All Whites, who were 85th.ย
Iran coach Ghalenoei sat down with the media after the game and highlighted the travel issues. “We spent so much time in the air commuting, they didn’t even give us time to recover,” Ghalenoei said through an interpreter after the game. “After the game today, they said to us you have to leave immediately. It’s very important for us to have time for recovery, but we’ve been told to return to our camp in Tijuana, and we are really troubled by that. I think perhaps our team is the most repressed team in the whole World Cup.”
What’s the issue?
Iran has been at loggerheads with the US and Israel since February 28, when the two nations launched attacks on the Islamic Republic, and it retaliated. Iran wanted to shift their World Cup matches outside of the US, a demand which wasn’t accepted by FIFA due to venue contracts and logistics involved.ย
They were expected to travel to the US state of Arizona for training, but had to shift their camp to Tijuana, Mexico. Team Melli’s preparations for the tournament have been hampered by frequent travel and visa issues. Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, had earlier stated that the team was notified to enter and leave the US on the same day as their matches, under the visa conditions, BCC had reported.
What did the captain say after New Zealand game?
The coach had not revealed who instructed them to leave the US; however, FIFA president Gianni Infantino had visited the team locker room after the match, Iranian captain Mehdi Tahremi said. “For sure, he wants to try to help us, but it’s about other things, too; everyone knows it,” Taremi said. “I don’t need to mention that, because you know where we are.
Tahremi expects FIFA to intervene and help them. “I think FIFA has to help us more than this. Let’s see what happens in the future.” He added that Iran’s football federation, Mehdi Taj, and other members of the support staff, were barred from travelling to the U.S.
Iran met with jeers from fans
Iran’s opener was played just outside Los Angeles, a city with the largest Iranian population outside the country, which added to the anxieties. The team was jeered upon entry as many fans of the diaspora turned their backs on the field when the Iranian anthem was played. However, they came behind their players when the match began.ย
“There were many Iranians here; they believe in different political affiliations, different beliefs, but they all wholeheartedly encouraged us, and I think that’s a victory for all of us,” Ghalenoei said.
The pre-revolutionary lion-and-sun flags were reportedly seen in abundance at the stadium despite FIFA’s ban on them and the Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Curtis Aย Kin upholding that decision.
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