Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei believes his side’s unbeaten start to the 2026 World Cup will be remembered by future generations given the extraordinary circumstances they have faced.
The Iranians have navigated two Group G matches without defeat, drawing against New Zealand before holding a ten-man Belgium side to a goalless draw on Sunday.
Ghalenoei pointed to a turbulent six-month period leading into the tournament as context for just how significant those results truly are.
Iran’s participation at the World Cup was shrouded in uncertainty due to the ongoing war with tournament co-hosts the United States, adding a layer of political complexity rarely seen at a major international competition.
Their preparations were further disrupted when opposition teams cancelled planned friendlies, leaving Iran severely short of competitive match practice heading into the tournament.
“I want to go back six months,” Ghalenoei said. “We were in war conditions for six months; we didn’t have our league operating.”
“Many teams cancelled the games they would play against us. We came to the World Cup in the worst conditions possible,” he added.
The disruption has not stopped at the group stage either, with Iran based in Mexico and forced to operate under strict visa conditions for their fixtures played on United States soil.
Those conditions require the Iranian squad to fly in just one day before each game and depart on the very same day as the match, severely limiting their preparation time on the ground.
Ghalenoei confirmed his side had less than 16 hours to train before facing Belgium, a logistical challenge that makes their two unbeaten results all the more remarkable.
Iran face Egypt in Seattle on Friday in their final Group G fixture, with a win enough to send them through to the knockout rounds for the first time.
Ghalenoei has expressed hope that his squad may be permitted to travel to Seattle earlier than the current restrictions allow, though he acknowledged the situation remains under review.
Regardless of what happens against Egypt, the Iranian coach insists his players have already written themselves into the country’s football folklore.
“The players who came to this World Cup in this condition need to be congratulated,” he said.
“We have had two games at the World Cup with the conditions we had – we had less than 16 hours to do training before the game.”
“This will be written in the history of our football and future generations will talk about what we have achieved,” Ghalenoei concluded.
