Iran will file a FIFA complaint over travel restrictions, claiming they impact their World Cup preparations
Coach Amir Ghalenoei calls Iran the “most oppressed” team after post-match travel issues
US officials defend the rules, saying Iran agreed to the visa conditions before the tournament
Iran have announced plans to submit an official complaint to FIFA over the travel restrictions they are facing during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, claiming the measures have affected their preparations and created unequal conditions compared to other participating teams.
The Football Federation of Iran (FFIRI) said the team has been restricted from entering the United States, one of the tournament’s co-hosts alongside Canada and Mexico, more than a day before their matches. The visa conditions also require the squad to leave the country on the same day as their fixtures.
Iran’s federation believes the restrictions are impacting the team’s ability to prepare properly for their matches, particularly with travel demands across the tournament. In a statement, FFIRI said: “The football federation of Iran believes that such restrictions are inconsistent with the principle of providing equal conditions for all participating teams and may negatively affect teams’ preparation processes.”
The federation added: “Consequently, the federation will formally express its dissatisfaction and lodge an official complaint with Fifa through the appropriate channels.”
The issue gained attention after Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei described his side as the “most oppressed” team at the World Cup following their 2-2 draw against New Zealand in their opening Group G match in Los Angeles.
Ghalenoei expressed frustration after being informed that the squad had to return immediately to their base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, rather than staying overnight in Los Angeles to recover before travelling back.
“After the game they said to us, ‘You have to leave immediately’. We’ve been asked to get on a plane and return to our camp in Tijuana, and we are really troubled by that,” Ghalenoei told reporters.
“They are forcing us to go back early. They are making the situation more and more difficult, more hurdles, but we’re not going to let that stop us from doing our best.”
The Iran coach also claimed the team had been denied permission to arrive in the United States two days before their opening fixture, something the federation believes would have helped players adjust to conditions and complete their final preparations.
“We were supposed to arrive two nights before the game, but they didn’t permit it. We were supposed to stay here tonight to recover and return at lunchtime. I think our team is the most oppressed one in the whole World Cup,” he said.
Iran had originally planned to use Arizona as their World Cup base but moved their camp to Tijuana amid concerns linked to tensions in the Middle East and security issues surrounding their participation in the tournament.
The team now face another challenge ahead of their second Group G match against Belgium in Los Angeles. The FFIRI said it requested permission to arrive in the city two days before the fixture because of the midday kick-off, allowing players more time to adapt, train and recover.
“Given that the game will be played at 12:00pm local time in Los Angeles, the Football Federation of Iran requested that the team be allowed to travel to Los Angeles two days before the match.
“The aim was to provide sufficient time for players to adapt to the match conditions, complete their final training session, and finalise preparations.
“Despite the technical reasons presented by the federation, the request was once again denied.”
The United States Department of Homeland Security defended the arrangements, saying Iran had agreed to the conditions before the tournament.
“The Iranian national football team agreed to these terms,” a US Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told the BBC.
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, also said Iran was aware of the travel rules surrounding their fixtures.
“The team will be allowed to come in, match day minus one, so the day before the match,” Giuliani told CBS News.
“They’ll be asked to leave the day that the match wraps up, so the evening of the match. And they’ll be able to do that again in Los Angeles.”
Iran’s preparations for the World Cup have already been affected by several off-field issues, including visa complications for members of their backroom staff and disputes over ticket allocations.
Despite the controversy, Iran remain focused on their tournament campaign, with two group matches still to play. They will face Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21 before meeting Egypt in Seattle on June 27.
