Iran criticizes World Cup hosting, says Infantino promised to help

INGLEWOOD (California) — The atmosphere was not one of celebration after Iran's 2-2 win against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium: coach and players criticized the logistical management of the tournament, claiming to have been forced to return to their base camp in Tijuana (Mexico) the night following the match.

Amir Ghalenoei, the coach, publicly denounced decisions which, according to him, harm the preparation of his group. “They said we had to leave immediately,” he said through an interpreter. “We are really annoyed by this. We don't know why we're being sent away, honestly. It seems very strange. It seems like others are doing the planning for us. » Ghalenoei went so far as to say: “Our team is the most oppressed in the entire World Cup. »

Striker Mehdi Taremi and striker Mohammad Mohebbi supported these criticisms. Taremi summed up the situation bluntly: “Everything is like a disaster, actually, for us. » Mohebbi added: “It's not fair… It's a difficult atmosphere for us. »

The players and staff deplored several elements: they had been forced to travel to Los Angeles the day before the match, arriving on the afternoon of Sunday, June 14, instead of arriving two days earlier, which, according to them, limited recovery time. After the final whistle, their bus left SoFi Stadium at 10:07 p.m. (about two hours after the end of the match, around 8:00 p.m.) and, according to several players interviewed by The Athletic, their flight was scheduled for shortly after 11:00 p.m.

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The visa problem seems to crystallize a large part of the discontent. An official from the Iranian federation told The Athletic on Sunday that 11 staff members had been refused entry to the United States, depriving the team of managers, the federal president and the media delegation. “Our president is not here, our media is not here, many members of our leadership are not here,” Ghalenoei noted.

Gianni Infantino, FIFA president, visited the Iranian dressing room after the match. “I know what you’re going through, I understand,” he told them, according to a transcript of one exchange. “But you are stronger than anything, and you send a strong message to the whole world. » The coach then spoke in front of him, discussing the need for FIFA to show more firmness – a moment visible in a video shared by Tasnim journalist Hatam Shiralizadeh.

The Iranian federation told The Athletic that it was FIFA which “requested” the immediate return of the team to Tijuana after the match. However, the American government's restrictions on Iranian nationals remain a possible explanation for these travel constraints. Requests for comment were sent to FIFA and the White House crisis unit dedicated to the World Cup, with no public response yet.

On a sporting level, the players regretted the concrete impact of these problems on the preparation of the following matches. “It’s not good for us, you know? It’s not good for football, because at a World Cup you have to prepare well for the next match,” Taremi insisted in front of the mixed zone, while a FIFA staff member repeatedly tried to end the interview.

Infantino was present in California after having earlier attended the Belgium-Egypt match in Seattle, and, the previous week in Mexico, he had declared that he would even be ready to "drive a bus from Tehran" to allow the Iranian team to participate in the tournament, while the participation of the selection had been uncertain for a time due to international tensions.