Taremi and Uruguay blast Fifa as travel chaos overshadows World Cup 2026 opener

Iran captain Mehdi Taremi and the Uruguayan Football Association have both publicly blamed Fifa for logistical failures that have cast a shadow over the opening days of World Cup 2026, with visa crises, grounded planes, and confiscated fan tickets among the disruptions reported.

Taremi’s Iran side arrived in the Los Angeles area on Sunday from their training base in Tijuana, Mexico — a relocation forced by the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States. Beyond the change of base, members of the Iranian delegation have faced visa complications and travelling supporters have had match tickets stripped from them ahead of the team’s opener against New Zealand.

“I have felt the tension from the first moment we arrived at this World Cup,” Taremi said. “This kind of tension, it undermines that joy and it undermines the message of Fifa and our people, which is that football brings about peace. I feel like this World Cup could have provided a better atmosphere than it has.”

Uruguay faced their own pre-match ordeal on the eve of their opening game against Saudi Arabia in Miami. The squad’s plane was unable to obtain clearance to fly from Cancun, where the team had been based, into the United States, leaving players and staff stranded at their hotel until a resolution was found. The Uruguayan FA placed responsibility squarely on Fifa; the governing body, in turn, attributed the problem to the airline.

Elsewhere in the England camp, midfielder Jordan Henderson defended teammate Jude Bellingham against a wave of external criticism ahead of Wednesday’s group-stage match against Croatia. “I know a lot gets written in the media and I really find it hard to read sometimes because I just know how big an influence he is on this team,” Henderson said. “What he gives us is just something really special — he really gives us the X-factor. We all know what he can do, and how much we all love him inside the camp, and I suppose that’s the main thing.”

The combination of geopolitical tensions, administrative failures, and logistical breakdowns has raised pointed questions about Fifa’s organisation of a tournament co-hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico — particularly regarding its duty of care to nations whose political relationships with the host country are strained.