Key facts
- Iranian football players are frustrated with travel restrictions at the World Cup, blaming US authorities.
- Players and staff claim the tight schedules are negatively impacting their performance.
- US officials maintain the team was aware of departure protocols requiring them to leave within hours of matches.
- Some Iranian support staff and officials were denied entry due to ties with Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
- FIFA rejected Iran's request to relocate group-stage matches and revoked ticket allocations.
Iranian football players have voiced frustration over recurring World Cup hurdles, attributing politically driven decisions by US authorities to the restrictions impacting their participation.
Team Melli has faced travel restrictions since the tournament began, with players and coaching staff stating that the tight schedules are affecting their match performance. Following their match against New Zealand in Los Angeles, the team was compelled to fly back to their base camp in Mexico on the same day, contrary to their planned recovery session.
Head coach Amir Ghalenoei and players like Mehdi Taremi described the situation as "disastrous" and "oppressed," noting that they were forced to travel to Los Angeles only one day before the match, leaving them with less than 24 hours in the city before kickoff.
US officials, however, have countered these claims. Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, confirmed that the team was informed of the departure process, which requires them to leave within hours of each match. He also noted that while players and coaches received visas, some support staff and officials were denied entry due to ties with Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
Further complicating matters, FIFA rejected Iran's request to relocate their group-stage matches and revoked the Iranian Football Federation's ticket allocation shortly before the tournament. Players expressed fatigue with the situation, with Taremi hinting that US authorities were to blame for the obstacles, while FIFA president Gianni Infantino acknowledged the team's difficulties during a locker room visit.