Iran manager blasts World Cup rivals for silence over US travel restrictions

Iran manager Amir Ghalenoei has publicly condemned every other coach at the 2026 World Cup for refusing to acknowledge his team’s travel grievances, as US restrictions continue to disrupt Iran’s preparations ahead of Sunday’s Group G match against Belgium in Los Angeles.

Ghalenoei revealed he personally reached out to all 47 rival coaches seeking support, only to receive no response. “I asked the other 47 coaches a question, and none of them have responded to me,” he said. “We are here for football, not politics, and we are saying that again. Our grievances are about 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. But if I had seen another team being treated the way we are being treated, I would say something.”

Iran have been forced to base themselves in Tijuana, Mexico, and are permitted to enter the United States only within a narrow window around each match. After drawing 2-2 with New Zealand in their opening fixture, the squad returned across the border before making the journey back to California for the Belgium game.

The situation came to a head when a formal request to fly into Los Angeles two days early — to allow adequate preparation time — was denied by US officials, who insisted Iran remain in the country for no more than 24 hours per match. Ghalenoei said the team ultimately received less than 16 hours on the ground, forcing them to cut a training session short.

“They said, ‘Sorry, we weren’t able to do that,’” Ghalenoei said. “And that’s going to affect us mentally, especially because as a head coach, I want to focus on technical things. I thank FIFA for that, but it doesn’t mean it’s succeeded. I just hope problems won’t occur in future World Cups.”

Midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi echoed his manager’s frustration. “You cannot deny that our situation hasn’t been the same as all the other teams,” he said. “All the other teams have managed to focus on their planning, whereas we have had to spend so much time just commuting.”

Ghalenoei had already described Iran as “the most oppressed team in the whole World Cup” following the New Zealand draw, and lodged a formal complaint with FIFA over the denied travel request.

There is some cautious optimism ahead of their third Group G fixture against Egypt in Seattle next Saturday, with Ghalenoei confirming that Iranian officials have been told they will face fewer restrictions there. “For the third game, they said, ‘In Seattle, you can do what you want. You can come earlier,’” he said. “But my problem is, why didn’t they let us come earlier for the first two games?”