Iran’s World Cup campaign has turned into a cross-border commuter operation, and head coach Amir Ghalenoei is not staying silent. Following a 2-2 draw against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in California, he labeled his squad “the most oppressed” team in the tournament.
The team’s base camp sits across the US border in Tijuana, Mexico. This arrangement stems from direct diplomatic friction between Washington and Tehran, forcing players to undergo an international border crossing for every match.
Ghalenoei revealed eleven federation staff members were denied entry to the US entirely. Furthermore, the team was forced to depart the venue immediately following the New Zealand match, a move he claims denied the players the standard post-game recovery period afforded to other competing nations.
“I think our team is the most oppressed one in the whole World Cup,” Ghalenoei stated post-match.
This extraordinary arrangement questions FIFA’s mandate to guarantee a level playing field for all participants. While other teams settle into local training facilities, Iran navigates geopolitical hurdles that directly impact logistics and team composition.
The situation escalates pressure on FIFA to intervene or risk tacitly accepting unequal treatment at its flagship event. For Iran, the remaining matches hinge on whether elite performance can be sustained amidst fragmented operations and forced travel.