Iran Faces Travel Restrictions at World Cup: Coach Ghalenoei Responds

Iran’s soccer coach, Amir Ghalenoei, expressed his frustration over travel restrictions imposed by the U.S. during the World Cup. He urged FIFA to persuade the U.S. to relax these restrictions, which have affected his team’s preparations.

Ghalenoei stated that the support from the Iranian nation motivates his team. He acknowledged the difficulties faced due to the restrictions but hoped for peace and changes in such policies.

When the Iranian team returned to California for their match against Belgium, their training schedule was disrupted due to denied travel requests. Ghalenoei highlighted the insufficient preparation time allotted before the fixture with the No. 10 ranked team, Belgium.

He appealed to other World Cup coaches to speak against the unfair treatment of the Iranian team. He noted that his team faces logistical challenges not shared by other teams, emphasizing the political tensions between the U.S. and Iran.

Iran’s team, directed to travel immediately after matches and train from Tijuana, Mexico, faced constraints impacting their focus and preparation. Praise was given to FIFA President Gianni Infantino for efforts made to ease these restrictions.

Ghalenoei was optimistic about longer preparation time allowed for the Seattle match against Egypt. However, he questioned why this flexibility wasn’t extended for earlier games.

He shared disappointment over unproductive negotiations to allow travel a day earlier, affecting the mental and technical focus of the team.

After their opening match draw against New Zealand, Ghalenoei criticized customs delays. Although improvements were seen in the latest travel, visa denials for team support staff and federation officials brought further frustration.

Belgium’s player Thomas Meunier expressed empathy with Iran’s situation, drawing parallels to Ukraine after the Russian invasion, recognizing the challenge of separating politics from football.