Iran coach urges FIFA to address ‘unfair’ World Cup treatment by US

By Bilal Ahmed

By Bilal Ahmed — 28 June 2026 — 3 min read

Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei has called on FIFA President Gianni Infantino to intervene regarding what he describes as “very unfair” treatment of his team by the United States during the World Cup. Following their 1-1 draw against Egypt in their final group-stage match in Seattle, Ghalenoei expressed his frustration with the logistical challenges and restrictions faced by his squad.

The team’s experience has been marked by turbulence, including a forced relocation of their training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, before the tournament began. This move was prompted by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Throughout the competition, Iran has also encountered significant logistical hurdles in traveling to and from the United States for their three group matches.

For their initial two matches in Los Angeles, the Iran squad was only permitted to enter the United States the day before each game and was required to depart on the same day, adhering to their visa terms. While travel restrictions were somewhat eased for the Seattle match, allowing them to arrive two days prior, the team still had to return to Tijuana immediately after the game. This marked the third consecutive instance of being denied permission to remain in the United States overnight.

Ghalenoei stated that these actions have “deprived” his team of the necessary opportunities to properly train and recover, both mentally and physically, from the demands of World Cup matches. He urged FIFA to prevent host nations from treating teams and players in a similar manner in future tournaments. Captain Mehdi Taremi echoed these sentiments, describing the tournament as a “logistical disaster” and questioning the necessity of constant travel to Tijuana.

The match against Egypt, which ended in a 1-1 draw, took place in Seattle. Iran initially fell behind to a fifth-minute goal from Egypt but managed to equalize nine minutes later. The score remained tied through the second-half hydration break. In stoppage time, Shojae Khalilzadeh appeared to score a go-ahead goal, but it was disallowed after a VAR review for a marginal offside call, leading to further frustration for the Iranian side.

Despite the challenges, Ghalenoei expressed immense pride in his players’ performance. He highlighted that their ability to perform well despite the obstacles should be acknowledged. He also noted the absence of Iranian media at matches and press conferences, a point also raised by Taremi, who mentioned that some of Iran‘s logistics staff lacked the necessary visas to travel with the team.

Iran finished third in Group G, and their advancement to the round of 32 depended on the results of subsequent matches. They are currently in a strong position to secure one of the eight third-place spots that progress to the knockout stage. Infantino had previously visited the Iran dressing room after their opening draw against New Zealand, assuring the squad of their strength.

Ghalenoei believes that while Infantino has made efforts to minimize problems, the host nation’s conduct has been unsatisfactory. He emphasized that the behavior towards his team has been “really terrible” and hopes the world becomes aware of it. The coach stated that being denied permission to arrive two weeks earlier, or even two days before each game, has significantly impacted the team’s preparation and recovery.

The match in Seattle also coincided with the city’s annual PrideFest, with June 26 unofficially declared the “Pride Match.” While no official Pride activities were held at FIFA‘s fan festival or inside the stadium, rainbow flags were visible among the crowd. Outside the stadium, supporters of Reza Pahlavi, a dissident of the Islamic Republic, gathered, creating a charged atmosphere before the match.

After the game, as they had done following their second group match in Los Angeles, Iran left a handwritten note in their dressing room. The note thanked Seattle for its hospitality and Iranians for their support, emphasizing that football is a “test of character.” Following this, the team departed for Tijuana in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Source: aljazeera.com