Visas Denied, Late Arrival: Iran Denounces Unacceptable Conditions After Draw with New Zealand

Iran could do no better than a 2-2 draw against New Zealand in their opening match of Group G at the 2026 World Cup, but it was off the pitch that head coach Amir Ghalenoei delivered his real post-match statement.

New Zealand had led twice: Elijah Just opened the scoring in the 7th minute, then added a second goal shortly before the hour mark. Iran came back each time, first through Ramin Rezaelan, then a second time in the second half to secure the draw.

But Ghalenoei was in no mood to analyze the match. Since the delegation’s arrival in Mexico, Iran’s imposed base camp, around fifteen staff and coaching members have been denied American visas. The head coach, the federation president, the team manager, and accredited media were absent. The day before the match, the team was also forbidden from traveling to Los Angeles to recover, and then from staying there after the game.

“In this conference, I don’t know if we’re talking about the match, and that’s quite ironic,” Ghalenoei told journalists. “Our team’s plans were decided elsewhere. We were supposed to arrive in Los Angeles two nights before this match, but we were forbidden. And once again, we had planned to be here tonight, to recover, and return tomorrow. We were denied permission.”

The coach went further, describing his team as “the most oppressed in the history of the international stage”: “On the manager’s bench, when we wanted to make preparations, it was a coach who handled it, as well as certain pre-match responsibilities. That’s why I say we are the most oppressed team in the history of the international stage.”

Ghalenoei concluded by warning that “the situation is getting worse day by day,” while indicating that the medical staff would determine which players will be available for the next match. Iran will face Belgium and Egypt in a Group G that is already shaping up to be tense, both sportively and diplomatically.