Amir Ghalenoei made the comments after Iran was forced to leave the United States for Mexico’s home base after the opening game.
Published June 16, 2026
Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said on Monday his team was “suppressed” by last-minute travel changes caused by tensions between Iran and the United States, adding that the disruption affected their performance after a 2-2 draw with New Zealand.
Iran’s soccer federation has delayed negotiations to move the team’s base camp from Arizona in the United States to Tijuana, Mexico, due to uncertainty over U.S. visas and a growing sense that the team’s stay in the United States should be kept to a minimum, Iran’s ambassador to Mexico told Reuters.
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Mr. Galenoei, 62, said Iran had been scheduled to stay overnight in Los Angeles on Monday, but was instead asked to return immediately to Mexico, causing further disruption.
“We were supposed to stay here tonight and recover and come back tomorrow at noon, but they wouldn’t let us,” Galenoei said. “To be honest, I don’t know why. I think our team is probably the most suppressed team in the whole World Cup.”
He did not say who imposed the restrictions.
The US State Department did not respond to a request for comment.
FIFA did not respond to requests for comment.
“FIFA has to help us”
The build-up to the game was one of drama off the field, as the team played on American soil just 24 hours after a peace deal was announced to end the war that started when the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.
Iranian forward Mehdi Taremi said the restrictions are preventing his team from playing their best in the tournament.
“It’s not good for us. I think it’s not good for football,” he said. “I think FIFA has to help us more than this.”
Taremi said it was a hectic atmosphere Sunday as he traveled from Tijuana to Los Angeles, headed to a hotel and then finally to the stadium to see the pitch. They should have had two days to settle in Los Angeles, he added.
“It’s a very bad situation and it’s affecting the team. We just want peace,” Taremi said, adding that FIFA president Gianni Infantino visited Iran’s changing room on Monday.
Galenoei also highlighted the absence of key backroom staff, with some officials and media unable to travel due to visa restrictions and coaches being given additional responsibilities on the bench.
“Our management team, a lot of them aren’t here,” he said.
“We had to take care of those roles ourselves.”
Despite the turmoil, coach Galenoei praised his players for their resilience in winning a draw, but said some players suffered muscle spasms due to the trip, which he blamed on fatigue from the extra trip.
