Iran’s national football team has accused authorities of disrupting its World Cup preparations after being ordered to leave the United States immediately following its opening match against New Zealand.
Coach Amir Ghalenoei said the team had originally planned to spend the night in Los Angeles after Monday’s 2-2 draw with New Zealand national football team to allow players time to rest and recover.
Instead, he said the squad was instructed just hours after the match to board a plane and return to its training base in Tijuana, Mexico.
The Iran national soccer team poses before the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group G match against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on June 15, 2026. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu)
“They didn’t even give us time to recover,” Ghalenoei said through an interpreter.
“After the game, 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. We are really troubled by that.”
The Iranian coach said the team had expected to arrive in California two days before the match and remain overnight afterward before returning to Mexico the following day. He added that no explanation had been provided for the sudden change.
“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, revealing that the squad endured lengthy travel and security procedures during what would normally be a short journey from Tijuana to Los Angeles.
Members of the Iranian National Football team arrive by bus at the Marriott Hotel in Tijuana, Mexico, after their 2026 FIFA World Cup Group G match against New Zealand on June 15, 2026. (Carlos Moreno/Anadolu)
According to Taremi, the trip and related checks lasted approximately five hours.
Calling on FIFA to intervene, the striker described the situation as extremely difficult.
“I think FIFA have to help us more than this,” he said.
“Everything is like a disaster, actually, for us.”
Neither Ghalenoei nor Taremi identified which authorities ordered the team to leave the country immediately after the match.
Iran’s remaining group-stage fixtures are scheduled to take place in the United States. The team will face Belgium national football team in Inglewood before travelling to Seattle to take on Egypt national football team.
Iran fans celebrate wildly as their team battles New Zealand to a World Cup draw. (Photo by Liza Rosales/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
The opening match itself carried strong political undertones. Outside the stadium, hundreds of Iranian Americans protested against the Iranian government.
Inside the venue, some members of the Iranian diaspora turned their backs during the national anthem, while supporters displayed numerous Lion and Sun symbols associated with Iran’s pre-1979 flag despite efforts by FIFA to limit political imagery.
The latest controversy adds to the logistical and diplomatic difficulties Iran has encountered during the 2026 World Cup, with the team already facing visa issues and uncertainty over travel arrangements before the tournament began.
With two crucial group matches still to come, Iranian officials are now hoping FIFA can provide additional support to ensure the team can focus on football rather than off-field complications.
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