Iran's head coach Amir Ghalenoei has claimed his team is 'the most oppressed' at the World Cup after being told to leave Los Angeles immediately following their 2-2 draw against New Zealand. The Iranian captain Mehdi Taremi and midfielder Mohammad Mohebi also criticized Fifa and hinted at resentment toward the US government over logistical issues that have disrupted their tournament preparations.
Post-Match Disruption
Speaking after the match at the Los Angeles Stadium, Taremi revealed that Fifa president Gianni Infantino visited the dressing room, where the team expressed their concerns directly. Ghalenoei stated that the team was ordered to depart straight after the game, despite needing recovery time. '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.'
The coach questioned the reasoning behind the forced departure, suggesting that others are making decisions for the team. '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,' he added. '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.'
Logistical Challenges
Iran's preparations have been plagued by visa and travel issues. The team was forced to abandon their planned training base in Tucson, Arizona, due to immigration concerns, instead training in Tijuana, Mexico and flying into the US shortly before matches. After arriving in Mexico, 15 support staff were denied US visas, later reduced to 11. The team still arrived in Los Angeles without both media officers, some analysts, and federation president Mehdi Taj. An analyst served as a stand-in media aide during Taremi and Mohebi's press conference, which a Fifa official repeatedly tried to stop.
Taremi criticized the lack of support from Fifa, stating, 'I think it's not good for the football. In the World Cup, you have to prepare good 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.'
Impact on Performance
The travel delays have taken a toll on the players. Taremi noted that the short trip from Tijuana to Los Angeles took five hours, mainly due to immigration processes. Being forced to leave immediately after the match will negatively affect recovery and performance, he said. '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.'
Mohebi added, 'Yesterday we came, started the trip in the morning, and we arrive in the afternoon, and we directly go to train, and we get tired, you know? I think it was 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.'
Praise for Mexico
Despite the challenges, Ghalenoei praised the hospitality of co-hosts Mexico. 'The Mexican people, the Mexican government, especially the people in Tijuana, made us feel at home,' he said. Many Mexican fans attended the match in support of Iran.
