The Iranian coach said his nation is under the greatest pressure in the 2026 World Cup due to restrictions.
On 16 June 2026, Amir Ghalenoei, Iran's national team coach, said his team was the "most unfairly treated" at the 2026 World Cup after last-minute travel restrictions were imposed.
After Iran's 2-2 draw with New Zealand on Monday night, Amir Ghalenoei revealed that the team had originally planned to stay overnight in Los Angeles and participate in recovery the next day, but immediately after the final whistle, they were ordered to return to their training base in Tijuana, Mexico.
Previously, Iran was scheduled to camp throughout the tournament in Tucson, Arizona, USA, but in late May, the team had to move to Tijuana due to travel and visa difficulties.
Ghalenoei said, "After the game, they told us we had to leave immediately."
"We were asked to board a plane and return to the camp in Tijuana, which caused us significant hardship."
"They forced us to leave earlier than planned, making the situation increasingly difficult and creating more obstacles, but we will not let these issues prevent us from performing at our best."