Iran forced out of the USA: Iran’s coach, Amir Ghalenoei, described his team as possibly the “most oppressed team in the whole World Cup,” stating that they had to leave Los Angeles and head back to their base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, right after their first game. Iran eventually stepped on the pitch on Monday at SoFi Stadium after what may well be the most nervous buildup to any World Cup team in the entire history of the tournament. They tied 2-2 with New Zealand in a disputed game opener. Though Ghalenoei showed his dissatisfaction with the very last-minute change to the team’s travel timetable, which required them to fly back to Mexico on Tuesday, right at the beginning of his post-match press conference.
Iran’s preparatory camp was changed from Arizona to Tijuana only weeks before the tournament, even though all of their three group matches were held in the United States. The team was planned to get to the United States two days before each game, only to leave the next day.
FIFA World Cup 2026: Iran forced to leave USA the same day
Coach Amir Ghalenoei didn’t say who ordered the Iranians to leave earlier than planned. The team had expected to spend the night in California to maximize the normal recovery process after its opening game, only to be told after the match that everyone must immediately get on a plane for the 140-mile trip back to Tijuana.
Ghalenoei, while talking about the issue, said that his team was not provided any time for recovery. He said, “They didn’t even give us time to recover. After the game today, they said to us, ‘You have to leave immediately.’ It’s very important for us to have time for recovery, [but] we are asked to get on a plane and return to our camp in Tijuana, and we are really troubled by that.”
Iran vs USA War: Team Mellli face logistical challenges in FIFA World Cup 2026
Since the start of the war between the USA and Israel on Iran in late February, the Iranian World Cup cycle has been off track. Iran was finally the one who decided to go ahead with the participation, even after FIFA refused its appeal to play the three group-stage matches in another country.
