Iran coach slams US treatment at World Cup, calls for FIFA intervention

Iran's national football team coach, Amir Ghalenoei, expressed strong dissatisfaction with the treatment his team received from the United States during the World Cup. Following a 1-1 draw with Egypt that left Iran's advancement hopes uncertain, Ghalenoei stated his team was treated "very unfairly" and urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to intervene against such host nation behavior.

The team's World Cup journey was fraught with difficulties, including relocating their training base from Arizona to Tijuana due to the conflict in the Middle East and facing travel complications. A pivotal moment in their final group match saw a late goal disallowed by VAR for a marginal offside, a decision that deeply frustrated the players and coach.

“

The host country was not good with us at all. I call on FIFA not to allow hosts to treat teams and players like this in the future. I hope J. Infantino will take a stand against such behaviors.

Captain Mehdi Taremi echoed the sentiment, describing the World Cup as "disastrous" not due to on-field performance but the perceived mistreatment. He highlighted issues such as staff lacking visas and the absence of Iranian journalists, contrasting it with the presence of Egyptian media.

The match itself took place amidst a charged atmosphere, with rainbow flags displayed among the predominantly Muslim crowd, coinciding with the annual Pride festival. Outside the stadium, hundreds of supporters of exiled Iranian politician Reza Pahlavi gathered. Despite the political undertones, the pre-match environment remained peaceful. On the field, Egypt took an early lead, but Iran equalized shortly after and pressed for a winner, hitting the post before their disallowed goal.

“

disastrous World Cup