Iran captain Mehdi Taremi expressed strong dissatisfaction with the conditions faced by his team during the 2026 World Cup, criticizing both the tournament organization and FIFA. Speaking after Iran’s 1-1 draw against Egypt on Friday night, a result that could secure their place in the knockout stage depending on other matches, Taremi described the event as a “disaster World Cup.”
The Iranian squad’s preparations were hampered by significant logistical challenges linked to travel restrictions in the United States, one of the tournament’s co-hosts. Due to visa denials affecting several delegation members, including important support staff, Iran was forced to relocate its base camp from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico. Taremi highlighted the absence of key recovery and logistics personnel during their matches, which he said impacted the team’s performance and mental focus. “We don’t have our logistics people here, they don’t have a visa,” he said. “We don’t have recovery or logistic people to help us. We always complain about these things but no one helps, no one.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino had visited the Iranian team following their opening 2-2 draw with New Zealand and pledged support. However, according to Taremi, little improvement has occurred since then, and with the group stage now concluded, the situation remains unresolved. Iran ended the group phase with three points from three draws and currently stand as the sixth-best third-placed team, awaiting outcomes from remaining groups to determine if they advance to the last 32.
Coach Amir Ghalenoei expressed pride in his squad’s effort while also commenting on their treatment by the host nation, describing it as “very unfair.” Iran came close to a stoppage-time win against Egypt before a goal was disallowed for offside and later hit the crossbar, underscoring the narrow margins that could define their tournament journey.
Taremi emphasized the psychological toll of the difficulties faced, noting the importance of rest and clear-headedness in high-level competition. His remarks also underscored a broader context of political tension, as this World Cup is being held in the U.S., a country currently involved in a longstanding military conflict with Iran. “We can’t keep it to ourselves. We are Iran. Some people don’t like us. But we have feelings,” Taremi said.
Advancing beyond the group stage would mark a historic milestone for Iran, which has never previously reached the knockout rounds of a World Cup. The team’s continued presence in the tournament is now contingent on how other third-placed teams perform in the remaining matches.