Iran Coach Calls Team ‘Most Oppressed’ After Mexico Return

Iran coach – Iran’s coach Amir Ghalenoei says last-minute travel restrictions—linked by the Iranian federation to uncertainty over U.S. visas amid Iran-U.S. tensions—forced the team to leave Los Angeles immediately after a 2-2 draw with New Zealand. Players and staff say t

On Monday night in Los Angeles. Iran’s World Cup plans were supposed to be simple: stay overnight to recover. then return Tuesday lunchtime. Instead. Amir Ghalenoei said his team was required to go back to Mexico immediately—after a match that had already left them strained by a frantic. day-of-travel scramble.

Ghalenoei. 62. described the sequence as the latest blow from what he called “last-minute travel changes” tied to tensions between Iran and the United States. “We’re supposed to stay here tonight to recover and return tomorrow lunchtime. but they haven’t permitted us. ” he said. “To be honest, I have no idea why. I think perhaps our team is the most oppressed one in the whole World Cup.” He did not say who imposed the restriction.

The Iranian football federation had arranged a late shift of the team’s base camp from Arizona to Mexico. The move came amid uncertainty over U.S. visas and what Iran’s ambassador to Mexico said was a growing sense that the squad’s presence in the United States should be kept to a minimum.

That pressure didn’t end with the earlier base-camp change. In the wake of Iran’s 2-2 draw with New Zealand, Ghalenoei said the disruption continued—long enough that his players paid for it physically. Several players suffered cramp, which he linked to fatigue from the extra travel.

Mehdi Taremi, an Iran forward, said the restrictions were preventing the team from playing at its best and argued that FIFA should do more. “It’s not good for us. I think it’s not good for football,” Taremi said. “I think FIFA have to help us more than this.”

Taremi said the atmosphere on Sunday felt rushed from the start. He described travel that began with movement from Tijuana to Los Angeles, then to the team hotel, and finally on to the stadium to watch the pitch. He said they should have been given two days to settle in to Los Angeles.

The day’s dislocation was happening against a larger backdrop of U.S.-Iran tensions and a newly fragile sense of relief. The run-up to the match. he said. carried drama away from the pitch because it came less than 24 hours after a peace deal was announced to end the war that began when the United States and Israel attacked Iran in February.

For Iran’s players, though, the tournament’s official promises of fair competition collided with something more basic: logistics. Taremi added that FIFA President Gianni Infantino visited the Iran changing room on Monday.

Coach Ghalenoei pointed to another gap created by visa limits—people. He said key backroom staff were missing. with some officials and media unable to travel because of visa restrictions. forcing coaches to take on extra responsibilities on the bench. “Our management team, many of them aren’t here,” he said. “We had to deal with those roles ourselves.”.

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

By the end of the matchday, Iran’s resilience was clear: they still earned the 2-2 draw. But the emotional weight of Monday’s turnaround landed in the same place as the practical harm—right where players and staff said it hurt most. After a night that was supposed to be for recovery. Ghalenoei said the team was being sent back to Mexico at once. with no clear explanation for why.

Iran World Cup Amir Ghalenoei Mehdi Taremi U.S. visas FIFA Gianni Infantino Mexico base camp Los Angeles travel restrictions Iran New Zealand draw