Iran Demand FIFA Intervention Over US Travel Chaos During World Cup Campaign

Iran's coaching staff have lodged complaints with FIFA following a chaotic sequence of last-minute travel arrangements that disrupted their World Cup preparations, with manager Amir Ghalenoei claiming his squad has become "the most oppressed team in the entire tournament."

The disruptions began well before their 2-2 stalemate with New Zealand, stemming from geopolitical tensions between Iran and the United States. The Iranian football federation had orchestrated a late relocation of their base camp from Arizona to Mexico, prompted by visa uncertainty and a desire to minimise the team's exposure on American soil. Iran's ambassador to Mexico confirmed these details to Reuters.

The chaos intensified on match day itself. After playing their fixture in Los Angeles on Sunday—remarkably, just 24 hours following the announcement of a peace agreement to end the conflict that erupted when the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in February—the delegation expected to spend Monday night recovering in the city. Instead, they were instructed to depart immediately for Mexico, a decision that left Ghalenoei, 62, visibly frustrated.

"We were meant to stay tonight and recover before heading home tomorrow lunchtime," the manager explained. "But they haven't allowed it. Honestly, I haven't a clue why."

He stopped short of naming which authority had imposed the restriction. The U.S. State Department and FIFA both declined to comment when approached.

Forward Mehdi Taremi echoed his manager's grievances, highlighting the farcical nature of their pre-match preparations. The team had rushed from Tijuana to Los Angeles, then to their hotel, and finally to the stadium for a pitch inspection—a journey that should have unfolded over two days instead compressed into mere hours.

"It's damaging for us and damaging for football," Taremi said. "FIFA needs to do more to help. We simply want peace."

Taremi also noted that FIFA President Gianni Infantino visited the Iran dressing room following Monday's fixture, though the gesture did little to alleviate underlying frustrations.

The travel upheaval extended beyond the playing squad. Several backroom staff members and media personnel were unable to travel due to visa restrictions, forcing coaching staff to shoulder additional responsibilities on the bench. Ghalenoei pointed to this staffing shortage as a contributing factor to his team's performance.

"Many of our management team simply aren't here," he said. "We've had to cover those roles ourselves."

Despite the organisational nightmare surrounding the match, Ghalenoei reserved praise for his players' mental fortitude in securing a draw. However, he attributed a spate of cramp issues among several players during the fixture to exhaustion compounded by excessive travel demands.