World Cup 2026: Iran coach says team still being treated unfairly by U.S., optimistic FIFA will intervene

Prior to Sunday’s World Cup match between Iran and Belgium in Group G play, Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei told reporters that his team continues to be treated unfairly by the United States with restrictions on travel and rejecting visa applications.

The travel restrictions have included Team Melli being told to fly to the U.S. on the day before its games and to leave immediately following the matches back to its training base in Tijuana, Mexico.

Iran’s players were granted visas to enter the U.S. on June 5, just 10 days before the national team began group play versus New Zealand. (Iran and New Zealand played to a 2-2 draw on Monday.)

Yet some coaches, support staff and officials had their applications rejected, the New York Times reported. Among those whose applications were not approved were Mehdi Taj, the head of Iran's football federation,

Iran's national team worked through a training session on Saturday in Los Angeles ahead of Sunday's World Cup match against Belgium. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)AP Photo/Andre Penner

Though Iran returned to Los Angeles on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s match, Ghalenoei said the team had to cut its training period short because his request to travel from Mexico was originally denied. Belgium, he pointed out, arrived in L.A. on Friday.

“We needed to have 24 hours [in Los Angeles] but they gave us less than 16 hours, and that is why we had to leave our training halfway,” the coach said through an interpreter, via the Associated Press. “These constraints have made it very difficult for us.”

Meeting with reporters on Saturday, Ghalenoei said he was optimistic that FIFA will convince the U.S. to lessen the restrictions imposed upon the Iran national team next week when it travels to Seattle for a group stage match versus Egypt. In the meantime, the Iranian football federation lodged a formal complaint with FIFA regarding the restrictions.

Additionally, Ghalenoei claimed that he has reached out to coaches of other World Cup teams, hoping they would speak against Iran’s treatment. However, he hasn’t received a response.

“I ask the other 47 coaches a question, and none of them have responded to me,” Ghalenoei said. “We are here for football, not politics, and we are saying that again. Our grievances are to the way they’ve behaved with us.”

“I haven’t heard anything from other coaches, and I’m sure they’re busy and preparing their own teams and we never expect them to have a reaction,” he added. “But if I had seen another team being treated the way we are being treated, I would say something.”

The U.S. began a war against Iran on Feb. 28. Negotiations are currently underway in Switzerland to end military operations after an initial agreement was reached between the two countries.