Iran Official Calls World Cup Treatment a 'Dark Point' for Football

A leading Iranian football official has described the team's treatment at the World Cup in North America as a "dark point" in the competition's history. Hedayat Mombeyni, secretary general of the Iranian football federation, expressed his concerns following his organization's announcement that it would file a complaint with FIFA.

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This is a major international tournament. This sort of breaking of our rules and our agreements, in my opinion, calls football itself into question.

The federation claims the team is facing travel restrictions that are compromising its performance. "This is a major international tournament. This sort of breaking of our rules and our agreements, in my opinion, calls football itself into question," Mombeyni told reporters at the team's training base in Tijuana, Mexico.

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I believe this will mark a dark point in the World Cup’s recent history.

Iran had requested to fly to the United States two days before their next match against Belgium in Los Angeles, but the request was reportedly denied. The US administration, however, pushed back against these claims. Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, stated that Iran had been informed beforehand that entry would only be permitted on the day before their games.

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The team will be allowed to come in, match day minus one, so the day before the match.

Mombeyni criticized the US organizers, asserting that rules must be followed. He suggested that those incapable of implementing FIFA's rules should not be hosts. "In my opinion, he should have studied the rules sooner, checked with people from Team Melli of Iran, and he shouldn’t have created these problems," Mombeyni said, referring to Giuliani.

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Rules must be followed. Seems to me that (Giuliani) should have studied the rules much sooner. And people who are not capable of carrying out FIFA’s rules should not be hosting, and FIFA should not select them to be hosts.