Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei has accused the United States of treating his nation unfairly throughout the 2026 World Cup and is urging Fifa to intervene in the future.
Iran have competed at the tournament against the backdrop of ongoing conflict between their country and both the United States and Israel.
Before the tournament even began, Iran’s training base was relocated from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, with the squad also facing significant travel restrictions throughout the competition.
For their opening two matches in Los Angeles, Iranian players were only permitted to enter the United States the day before each game and had to leave again on the same day under the terms of their visas.
Restrictions were slightly eased for their match in Seattle, where the squad was allowed to arrive two days in advance, though they were still required to return to Tijuana after the final whistle.
Ghalenoei said: “To my players and the team, I want to say to them I’m proud of them. What these young people, these players have done, it should be written in history because the host country treated us very unfairly.”
He continued: “Despite all of these problems, we’ve been able to perform well and the world is proud of Iranians and our team.”
The coach made a direct appeal to football’s world governing body, saying: “I urge Fifa: don’t let hosts treat players and teams the same way in future World Cups.”
Iran drew their final Group G match 1-1 with Egypt, with qualification for the last 32 left hanging in the balance after a dramatic late disallowed goal.
Shoja Khalilzadeh appeared to have scored a stoppage-time winner that would have secured Iran’s automatic passage into the knockout stage, sparking celebrations among supporters inside the stadium.
However, a VAR review ruled the goal out for offside, crushing Iran’s hopes of a confirmed qualification spot and leaving their fate in the hands of other results.
Ghalenoei reflected on the cruel nature of the decision, adding: “I used to think that we were really a totally oppressed team, but after these three games, I have noticed that we also have bad luck as well.”
Iran currently sit sixth in the standings of third-placed sides, with three groups still to complete and the top eight third-placed finishers advancing to the knockout rounds.
Captain Mehdi Taremi was equally forthright in his assessment of the situation, describing the tournament as a “logistical disaster” for his squad.
Taremi said: “How is it possible we always have to travel to Tijuana? We love the people of Mexico. We love Tijuana, it’s so good, they are so humble people. We love them. But as professional players, in a professional competition, it’s not right.”
Fifa president Gianni Infantino had previously stated that the organisation had worked hard to guarantee Iran’s participation, saying: “When people were saying it would be impossible for Iran to come to the World Cup, I promised them that they would come.”
Infantino also visited the Iran dressing room following their opening draw with New Zealand, though the governing body is yet to formally respond to the coach’s latest complaints.
