Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei says his team is still being treated unfairly by the host U.S. at the World Cup through travel restrictions and visa denials. The Iranians returned to the Los Angeles area for Sunday’s match against Belgium after a denied Friday trave
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Amir Ghalenoei sat and watched the clock with one thing in mind: getting his team ready for Belgium on Sunday. The plan ran into a wall on Friday when his request to travel was denied, and Iran’s preparations paid the price.
“We needed to have 24 hours (in Los Angeles), but they gave us less than 16 hours, and that is why we had to leave our training halfway,” the Iran coach said through an interpreter. “These constraints have made it very difficult for us.”
For Ghalenoei, the issue isn’t only the timing. He believes the Iranian national team is still being treated poorly by the host United States at the World Cup. pointing to travel restrictions and visa refusals. He said he remains optimistic FIFA will persuade the Americans to ease “some of those strictures next week. ” but insisted the current treatment has gone beyond sport.
“I am very glad that the Iranian nation is behind us,” Ghalenoei said. “Our martyrs in Iran, we play for them. But I know that this kind of behaviour has hurt our people. Even if we spent billions of dollars, we would not be able to have justice for our people. It just shows we are an oppressed country. But nevertheless. I hope we achieve peace. and I hope this kind of behavior does not become institutionalized in the World Cup.”.
Iran returned to the Los Angeles area on Saturday for the second match of the tournament, against Belgium — the No. 10 team in FIFA’s world rankings. Iran’s route is shaped by restrictions set by the U.S. after the U.S. began a war against Iran on Feb. 28. Under the rules. Team Melli has been directed to fly to its matches in the United States on the day before the game and return immediately afterward to its training base in Tijuana. Mexico.
Ghalenoei argued the schedule may look manageable to other teams who voluntarily travel in the same window, but it isn’t what Iran asked for or what it considers fair.
“We needed to have 24 hours (in Los Angeles), but they gave us less than 16 hours,” he repeated, framing the day-to-day impact on preparation and recovery. Iran worked out at the LA Galaxy’s home stadium in suburban Carson on Saturday afternoon after the short flight from Tijuana.
Iran midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi described the grind in plain terms: planning gets squeezed out by commuting. “You cannot deny that our situation hasn’t been the same as all the other teams,” Ezatolahi said. “All the other teams have managed to focus on our planning. whereas we have had to spend so much time just commuting.”.
Ghalenoei also said FIFA spent much of Friday trying to persuade the American government to allow Iran to fly to Los Angeles that day. He waited by the phone for approval to head for the airport, but the negotiations didn’t lead to a change.
“They said, ‘Sorry, we weren’t able to do that,’” Ghalenoei said. He added that the setback affects his team mentally, even though he wants to focus on technical work. “I thank FIFA for that, but it doesn’t mean it’s succeeded,” he said. “I just hope problems won’t occur in future World Cups.”
The coach said he has also asked the tournament’s other coaches for support against the treatment of the Iranian team. “I ask the other 47 coaches a question, and none of them have responded to me,” he said. “We are here for football, not politics, and we are saying that again. Our grievances are to the way they’ve behaved with us.”.
He said he understands why others haven’t reacted — teams are busy preparing — but added that if he saw another team treated the same way, he would expect someone to speak up.
Iran’s controversy isn’t limited to movement. Ghalenoei renewed complaints about members of Iran’s traveling party who had been denied visas, including the head of Iran’s football federation, coaching support personnel and media relations staffers.
“Such kind of behavior is not suitable for a World Cup,” Ghalenoei said. “You invite a team, but you don’t let in their support staff, their backroom staff?”
He said Iran’s soccer federation hasn’t formally lodged a complaint with FIFA about its treatment, but is “only airing its grievances publicly.”
For the third group stage game, Ghalenoei believes there may be a shift. He said FIFA told Iran that for the final match in Seattle, the Americans would allow Team Melli to travel two days in advance of its final group stage match against Egypt.
“For the third game, they said, ‘In Seattle, you can do what you want,’” Ghalenoei said. “’You can act the way you want to, and you can come earlier.’ But my problem is, why didn’t they let us come earlier for the first two games as well?”
He acknowledged that for the last game, Iran would have more control over planning travel, but said the earlier matches were handled for Iran rather than with Iran.
Iran’s opening match at the World Cup came at SoFi Stadium on Monday, when it drew 2-2 with underdog New Zealand one day after a five-hour commute that included customs delays.
Ghalenoei said he was surprised and upset after that match when he learned he was ordered out of the country immediately instead of being allowed another day in the United States to optimize the team’s recovery. U.S. officials said Iran already knew about its restrictions.
On Saturday. Ghalenoei acknowledged that this time around. Iran cleared customs and reached its Los Angeles hotel much more quickly after its short flight from Tijuana. giving credit to U.S. officials for ironing out some bureaucratic wrinkles. Even so, the visa denials for Iran’s support staff and the compressed turnaround remained central to his argument.
Belgium right back Thomas Meunier offered empathy for the Iranian situation. saying it reminded him of Ukraine after the Russian invasion. “We usually don’t mix football with politics. but it’s quite challenging to separate the two. admittedly. ” Meunier said through an interpreter. “This period should push the Iranian team to do better, in my opinion.”.
Meunier pointed to the motivation that came with representing a nation under threat. “When we played Ukraine in Nations League, there was very high motivation, more energy. They want to make their people proud and defend their nation. For us, it’s an added challenge,” he said. “I would imagine some Iranian players have a family that’s directly impacted by the war. and we obviously feel for these people.”.
As Iran tries to sharpen itself for Belgium. Ghalenoei’s stance is clear: he isn’t asking for sympathy so much as fair treatment in a competition he believes should not carry the weight of politics and punishment. For now. the fight is on the sidelines and in the schedule — and it will last at least through Sunday’s match.
MISRYOUM World Cup Iran Belgium Amir Ghalenoei Saeid Ezatolahi United States FIFA Gianni Infantino travel restrictions visa refusals Tijuana Seattle Egypt SoFi Stadium Thomas Meunier