Iran’s head coach Amir Ghalenoei has strongly criticized the difficult conditions his team is facing at the FIFA World Cup. After a hard-fought 2-2 draw against New Zealand in Los Angeles, he described his squad as the “most oppressed team in the whole World Cup.” The players were suddenly told they must return to Mexico right after the match, leaving them with almost no time to recover.
This latest issue adds to the ongoing logistical problems for the Iranian team. The tournament is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. However, a long-standing diplomatic dispute between Tehran and Washington created many obstacles even before the competition began. The US had refused visas for several support staff members and only provided travel documents to players at the very last moment.
Originally, the team planned to set up their training camp in Tucson, Arizona. Due to these complications, they had to shift everything to Tijuana in Mexico at the eleventh hour. Ghalenoei expressed his frustration clearly to journalists, saying the authorities delayed their arrival and are now forcing an early departure without proper recovery time. “They are making the situation more and more difficult, facing us with more hurdles,” he said, “but we’re not going to let that stop us from doing our best.”
The coach also mentioned that his team had been promised they could stay in the United States until Tuesday lunchtime for rest. That permission was suddenly withdrawn. With key support staff missing, technical members had to handle extra managerial responsibilities. This is why Ghalenoei believes his players are the most oppressed at this World Cup.
Star striker Mehdi Taremi also voiced his disappointment, calling the entire experience a “disaster” for the squad. He highlighted the stress on players and staff due to lack of proper support and urged FIFA to step in more actively. Taremi noted that players only learned about the immediate departure on match day itself. Despite the problems that started months ago, the team remains focused on performing well and values the message of peace that FIFA promotes.
This situation comes just after a peace deal was announced between the US and Iran, ending months of military tension. While FIFA President Gianni Infantino visited the dressing room to discuss the issues, the team continues to push forward amid the challenges.
