Iranโs football federation is preparing to file a complaint with FIFA over travel rules imposed on the national team during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They pointed out that the measures have interfered with match preparations and player recovery ahead of key Group G fixtures.
The dispute involves the movement of the Iranian squad between its tournament base in Tijuana, Mexico and host cities in the United States, where two of its group-stage matches are scheduled. Federation officials say requests aimed at easing travel demands have repeatedly been rejected despite being submitted as part of the teamโs planning process before the competition.
Notably, a fresh point of contention emerged before Iranโs meeting with Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21. Iranian officials sought approval for the squad to arrive in California two days before kickoff, citing preparation requirements linked to the midday local start time. The federation says organisers turned down the request.
“Despite having submitted its preparation schedule for the tournament well in advance, Iran’s national football team has once again encountered restrictions imposed by the organisers, affecting the implementation of its technical staff’s plans,” an Iranian federation spokesperson said as per AFP.
โGiven that the game will be played at 12pm local time in Los Angeles, the football federation of Iran requested that the team be allowed to travel to Los Angeles two days before the match. The aim was to provide sufficient time for players to adapt to the match conditions, complete their final training session, and finalise preparations. Despite the technical reasons presented by the federation, the request was once again denied,โ the spokesperson further added.ย
To and fro travel is complicated for Iran
The federationโs concerns follow Iranโs opening match against New Zealand in Los Angeles, which ended in a 2-2 draw. After that fixture, the delegation was required to return to Mexico shortly after the final whistle rather than remain in the United States. Head coach Amir Ghalenoei said the arrangement had complicated post-match recovery plans and added to the challenges facing the squad.
“After the game today they said to us: ‘You have to leave immediately.’ Whereas it’s very important for us to have recovery,โ Ghalenoei said.ย
โWe’ve been asked to get on a plane and return to our camp in Tijuana and we are really troubled by that. They are forcing us to go back early. They are making the situation more and more difficult, more hurdles, but we’re not going to let that stop us from doing our best. We don’t know why they’re returning us. It’s very strange,โ he added.ย
Meanwhile, the tournament participation had already been under scrutiny because of tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran. According to White House FIFA Task Force executive director Andrew Giuliani, Iran had been notified beforehand that its delegation would be allowed into the United States only one day before matches and would have to leave on the same day after games.ย
The same travel framework is expected to remain in place for Iranโs final group-stage encounter against Egypt in Seattle on June 26. Iranian officials maintain that the restrictions have disrupted training, recovery and overall tournament logistics.
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