Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei has strongly criticised the conditions surrounding his team at the 2026 World Cup, claiming they are the “most oppressed” side in the tournament amid what he described as disruptive logistical and administrative challenges in the United States.
His comments came after Iran were held to a 2-2 draw against New Zealand in their opening Group G match on Tuesday at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, a game played in a highly charged atmosphere involving sections of the 70,000-strong crowd.
The build-up to the match has been overshadowed by wider geopolitical tensions between Iran and the United States, with Iran’s preparations already affected by travel and camp arrangements that forced the squad to base themselves in Mexico.
Following the match, Ghalenoei expressed frustration over what he said were repeated disruptions to his team’s recovery and planning schedule.
“We’ve spent so much time commuting in the air,” he said. “They didn’t even give us time to recover after the game today. They said we had to leave immediately.”
“It’s very important for us to have time for recovery and yet we were asked to return to Tijuana and we are really troubled by that.”
He added that the team had been left unclear about the reasoning behind the arrangements, suggesting decisions were being made without proper communication.
“We do not know why they are returning us. I think it’s very strange. It seems like others are doing the planning for us, decisions are made elsewhere, we were supposed to arrive two nights before the game and we were not permitted, we were supposed to stay tonight and return tomorrow lunchtime but I have no idea why, and they haven’t told us.”
Ghalenoei also described wider structural issues affecting the squad’s World Cup setup, including the absence of parts of the federation and support staff.
“Our team is the most oppressed one in the whole World Cup.”
He added that key members of the delegation had been unable to attend, while gaps in the technical staff had forced others to take on additional responsibilities.
Iran captain Mehdi Taremi also voiced his frustration, describing the situation as a “disaster” and highlighting the impact of missing personnel on the team’s World Cup preparations.
He is also understood to have told the squad he would attempt to assist in bringing additional members of the Iranian delegation, who were reportedly denied visas, to the United States for their remaining group matches.
Taremi further stressed the scale of the disruption facing the team, pointing to the absence of senior officials and support staff.
“We don’t have our President, and no one from staff, also, which is so important for us. Our manager, for example, has come here doing the job of the media, and you know everything is like a disaster for us.”
Iran now turn their attention to the remainder of their Group G fixtures, with their off-field situation continuing to cast a shadow over their on-pitch performances as the tournament progresses.
The coach’s perspective on oppression is interesting. It definitely adds another layer to the tournament.