Iran coach criticises World Cup travel disruption after New Zealand draw

TLE DESK: Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei has criticised tournament organisers after his team was ordered to leave the United States just hours after their 2-2 draw against New Zealand in their opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Speaking after Monday’s Group E clash at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, Ghalenoei said the squad had been forced to return immediately to its training base in Tijuana, Mexico, instead of staying overnight in Los Angeles as originally planned.

“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 were asked to get on a plane and return to our camp in Tijuana.”

The Iranian coach did not specify who ordered the change but described the situation as unfair and disruptive to his team’s preparations.

“We were supposed to come two nights before the game, and we were supposed to stay tonight to recover and return tomorrow at lunchtime. We have no idea why,” he said. “I think our team is perhaps the most oppressed in the World Cup.”

Iran captain Mehdi Taremi also expressed frustration, saying the team endured lengthy travel and security procedures before the match and now faced an immediate return journey.

“We have to leave Los Angeles right now, and it’s not good for us,” Taremi said. “I think FIFA have to help us more than this. Everything is like a disaster, actually, for us.”

The Iranian Football Federation has also faced difficulties obtaining visas for several officials and support staff, including federation president Mehdi Taj, amid ongoing tensions between Tehran and Washington.

Responding to the criticism, FIFA said the delay was caused by an airline permitting issue rather than tournament operations.

“Due to an airline permitting error in Mexico, the Uruguay national team’s departure from Cancun to Miami was delayed,” FIFA said in a separate statement regarding another travel issue, while maintaining it worked closely with teams and authorities to minimise disruptions.

Ghalenoei said several Iranian players suffered cramps during the match due to inadequate preparation and travel-related fatigue.

“Many of our players had cramps, and that’s why we had to substitute them. It wasn’t for technical reasons,” he said.

Despite the difficulties, Iran earned a point in an entertaining encounter. New Zealand twice took the lead through Elijah Just, but Iran responded with goals from Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebi to secure a 2-2 draw.

The match attracted a large and vocal Iranian diaspora crowd in Los Angeles, home to the world’s largest Iranian community outside Iran. While some fans protested against the Iranian government before kickoff, the majority backed Team Melli throughout the game.

“It was an incredible atmosphere,” Taremi said. “It was like at home for us.”

Iran will next face Belgium on Sunday before concluding their Group E campaign against Egypt. Following the opening round of matches, Iran, Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand all have one point.