2026 World Cup: New Controversy Over Iran’s Participation in the United States
It was clear that Iran’s path to the 2026 World Cup would be complicated, but for head coach Amir Ghalenoei, the situation is becoming increasingly difficult to accept. The head coach of the Iranian national team has, in fact, highlighted a series of logistical and organizational issues that, in his view, are putting the team at a disadvantage compared to the other participants.
At the center of the controversy is the team’s preparation for the match against Belgium, scheduled to take place in Los Angeles. “We needed 24 hours in Los Angeles to properly prepare for the match against Belgium, but they gave us less than 16, which is why we had to cut training short. These restrictions have made things very difficult for us,” Ghalenoei explained.
The Iranian head coach then called on the other coaches present at the World Cup, asking them to take a stand on the treatment his team received. “I asked the other 47 coaches a question, and none of them answered me,” he said. “We’re here for soccer, not for politics, and we’ll say it again. Our complaints are about the way they’ve treated us. I haven’t heard anything from the other coaches, and I’m sure they’re busy preparing their teams—we certainly don’t expect them to react. But if I had seen another team treated the way we were, I would have said something.”
Midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi also echoed the head coach’s remarks, highlighting the organizational challenges the team faced: “There’s no denying that our situation was different from that of the other teams. All the other teams were able to focus on planning, while we had to spend a tremendous amount of time traveling.”
Looking ahead to upcoming matches, Ghalenoei acknowledged a change in approach by the organizers, though he did not hide his disappointment over what had happened previously. “For the third game, they told us that in Seattle we could do whatever we wanted,” he said. “But my issue is: why didn’t they let us arrive earlier for the first two games as well? I know that for the last game, they let us make our own decisions regarding travel arrangements. But unfortunately, for the first two games, others decided the timing for us.”
