Iran has voiced frustration over its treatment by FIFA and the United States during the 2026 World Cup, with captain Mehdi Taremi, midfielder Mohammad Mohebi, and head coach Amir Ghalenoe criticizing tournament logistics and suggesting they have been subjected to unfair treatment compared to other participating nations.
The complaints surfaced shortly after Iran’s 2-2 draw against New Zealand in Los Angeles on Monday night. Instead of remaining in the city for recovery, Iranian players and support staff were asked to leave the US immediately and return to its training base in Tijuana, Mexico, a move that players and staff said would hamper their preparations for upcoming matches.
Speaking after the game, Taremi painted a bleak picture of the team’s experience at the tournament. “Everything is like disaster, actually, for us,” said Taremi, who added that FIFA president Gianni Infantino visited the team in the dressing room and that the players raised their concerns with him directly.
recovery challenge
Head coach Ghalenoei was even more critical of the arrangement for them, claiming Iran had been subjected to horrendous treatment at the tournament by the host country, US, and the organisers, FIFA.
“After the game today they said to us, ‘You have to leave immediately,'” Ghalenoei said. “Whereas today it’s very important for us to have recovery.
“We’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,” he added.
The coach also questioned why Iran’s travel arrangements appeared to be dictated by circumstances beyond the team’s control.
“We don’t know why they’re returning us, to be honest. I think it’s very strange. It seems like others are doing the planning for us … We were supposed to arrive two nights before the game but they didn’t permit. [it]. We were supposed to stay here tonight to recover and return tomorrow lunchtime.
“I think our team is the most oppressed one in the whole World Cup. Our federation isn’t here, our media isn’t here, our management isn’t here,” he said.
The logistical difficulties faced by Iran began well before the tournament. The team had originally planned to establish its training base in Tucson, Arizona, but relocated to Tijuana because of concerns over immigration and visa issues. Those fears proved justified when 15 members of the support staff were denied visas to enter the United States after arriving in Mexico. Although several approvals were later granted, 11 staff members remained unable to travel.
As a result, Iran arrived in Los Angeles without its media officers, several analysts and federation president Mehdi Taj. The disruption was visible during post-match media duties, where one of the team’s analysts stepped in as a temporary media aide.
‘Not good for football’
Taremi argued that the circumstances were affecting the team’s ability to prepare properly for matches.
“I think it’s not good for the football,” Taremi said. “In [the] World Cup, you have to prepare well for the next game, which is a lot of stress for the players and the staff and everyone. But we don’t have that support, and I think FIFA have to help us more than this. Let’s see what’s going to happen in the future.”
The striker also highlighted travel difficulties between Tijuana and Los Angeles, saying a journey that should have been relatively short took five hours, with immigration procedures understood to be the primary cause of delays.
“It’s supposed to be: tomorrow morning recovery, then we fly to Tijuana, then we return to LA again, but right now we have to go back,” Taremi said.
Mohebi echoed those concerns and warned that the constant travel could take a physical toll on players.
“Yesterday we came, started the trip in the morning, and we arrived [in the] afternoon, and we directly go to train, and we get tired, you know? I think [it wa] Supposed to be, we come here two days before the game. This kind of deal, I think, is not fair … we’re going to get fatigued – hamstring, lower back, glutes …”
Despite the challenges, Ghalenoe reserved special praise for Mexico and its people, who have embraced the team since its arrival in Tijuana.
“The Mexican people, the Mexican government, especially the people in Tijuana, made us feel at home,” he said.
