Iran Coach Claims Team Is ‘Most Oppressed’ at World Cup After Travel Chaos Following New Zealand Draw

• Amir Ghalenoei criticised Iran’s treatment at the World Cup after being forced to leave Los Angeles immediately following their draw with New Zealand.
• Iran’s preparations have been disrupted by visa issues, a relocated training base and travel restrictions affecting staff members.
• Mehdi Taremi called the situation a “disaster” and urged FIFA to provide greater support.

Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei has described his side as potentially the “most oppressed team in the whole World Cup” after fresh travel complications emerged following Monday’s 2-2 draw with New Zealand.

After one of the most challenging build-ups of any nation at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Iran finally opened their campaign at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. However, attention quickly shifted away from the result as Ghalenoei revealed the team had been instructed to leave Los Angeles immediately after the match and return to their training base in Tijuana, Mexico.

Iran’s preparations have been heavily affected by logistical and political difficulties. Their original base camp was moved from Arizona to Tijuana weeks before the tournament despite all three of their group-stage matches being scheduled in the United States. The squad had initially planned to fly into the U.S. shortly before each match and return to Mexico afterwards.

According to a source, forward Mehdi Torabi’s visa expired, contributing to the decision requiring the team to return to Tijuana after the New Zealand match.

“We spent so much time in the air commuting, they didn’t even give us time to recover,” Ghalenoei said through an interpreter.

“After the game today, they said to us, ‘You have to leave immediately.’

“It’s very important for us to have time for recovery, but we’ve been told to return to our camp in Tijuana, and we are really troubled by that.”

The Iran coach did not specify who had ordered the immediate departure but made clear his frustration with the ongoing situation.

“I think perhaps our team is the most oppressed team in the whole World Cup,” he added.

Captain Mehdi Taremi echoed those concerns and revealed FIFA president Gianni Infantino visited the dressing room following the match.

“For sure, he wants to try to help us, but it’s about other things, too. Everyone knows it,” Taremi said.

“I don’t need to mention that because you know where we are. I think FIFA has to help us more than this. Let’s see what happens in the future.”

Taremi also expressed disappointment that Iran Football Federation president Mehdi Taj and several support staff members were unable to travel to the United States.

“Everything is a disaster for us,” Taremi said.

The complaints were challenged by White House World Cup Task Force executive director Andrew Giuliani, who defended the United States’ handling of Iran’s participation.

“I think that the United States has been more than fair,” Giuliani told ABC News.

“We’ve gotten visas for all 31 of the players, gotten visas for every coach, so that way there can be competitive balance.”

He added that some visa applications involving officials connected to the team had been denied.

Iran’s participation in the tournament has been closely watched after months of tensions and uncertainty surrounding their involvement. The team’s opening match near Los Angeles added further significance given the city’s large Iranian community.

There were mixed reactions during the national anthem, with both cheers and jeers audible around the stadium. Once the match began, however, strong support emerged from many Iranian fans inside the crowd of 70,108.

“There were many Iranians here. They believe in different political affiliations, different beliefs, but they all wholeheartedly encouraged us, and I think that’s a victory for all of us,” Ghalenoei said.

Iran supporters displayed both pre-revolutionary and post-revolutionary flags while celebrating goals from Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebbi. The presence of pre-revolutionary Lion and Sun flags came despite FIFA maintaining a ban on those symbols inside World Cup stadiums following an emergency hearing on matchday.

“I wanted to say thank you to the Iranians who live in Los Angeles; they make a great atmosphere in the game,” Mohebbi said.

Iran return to action against Belgium in Inglewood on Sunday before concluding Group G against Egypt and Mohamed Salah in Seattle on June 26.

With all four Group G teams drawing their opening matches, the group remains perfectly balanced heading into the second round of fixtures.

WRITTEN BY

Hailey

Hailey Russell is a football journalist and former Division 1 collegiate athlete in the United States, bringing a unique blend of elite playing experience and professional insight to her work. Currently competing at the professional level in Europe, Hailey combines first-hand knowledge of the modern game with sharp analysis across match reports, player development, and tactical breakdowns.

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