Nice Game, Now Leave: Iranians Claim To Be ‘Most Oppressed’ Team Playing in the World Cup

Despite the Trump administration recently reaching a framework on a peace agreement to end America’s conflict with Iran, the geopolitical ripples are haunting the Iranian national soccer team, which claims it is not getting a fair chance to advance in the World Cup due to its strenuous commute from Mexico.Hours after playing to a disappointing 2-2 draw with lower-ranked New Zealand at SoFi Stadium on Monday night, Team Melli faced an unexpected post-match eviction, leaving members feeling like “the most oppressed” team in the World Cup.The Iranians had expected to spend Monday night in California to maximize the standard recovery process following an intense opening match. Instead, team officials said they were abruptly informed that the entire delegation had to immediately board a plane for a midnight 140-mile flight back to its secure training base in Tijuana.Iranian head coach Amir Ghalenoei declined to say which authority ordered the instant departure, but he made no effort to hide his fury over the logistical disruption.“They didn’t even give us time to recover,” he said during a brief post-match press conference. “After the game, they said to us, ‘You have to leave immediately.’ It’s very important for us to have time for recovery, but we were asked to get on a plane and return to our camp in Tijuana, and we are really troubled by that. I think our team is perhaps the most oppressed in the World Cup.”Utilizing recovery time efficiently is a priority to all 48 teams competing in the expanded World Cup format. Both of Iran’s next two matches are tougher on paper, endangering their chances of getting out of the group stage for the first time. The Iranian’s play Belgium in Inglewood on Sunday, followed by a trip to Seattle to face Egypt on June 26. Iran, Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand have one point apiece after the opening round.Iran’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico have been in upheaval since military hostilities involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran broke out in February.Iran initially requested that its group-stage matches be moved out of the United States after President Trump suggested it might not be appropriate for it to play in America “for their own safety.”Weeks later, Iran’s training base was moved to Tijuana from Arizona. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed last month that Washington would not host the squad for the duration of the tournament. “The United States does not want the Iranian team to stay overnight, but they are going to play three matches there,” Ms Sheinbaum said. “So they asked us, can they stay overnight in Mexico, and we said yes, no problem.’”The executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, Andrew Giuliani, on Tuesday pushed back on the suggestion the Iranian team didn’t know the travel restrictions. “We were clear this was the process,” Mr. Giuliani told the Associated Press. In an interview on CBS, he said the team knew that it would be allowed to come into the country the day before the match and would be required to leave the evening the game is played. This will continue to be the case for its upcoming games against Belgium and Egypt, he added.“They’ll be able to do that again in Los Angeles. They’ll be able to do it again in Seattle,” Mr. Giuliani said.Meanwhile, the U.S. government reportedly denied entry visas to some of its personnel, including the president of Iran’s football federation, some media members, and coaching staff. With a peace agreement in place, the Iranians hoped for fewer disruptions in their training schedule. “We don’t know why they are returning us,” Mr. Ghalenoei said. “I think it’s very strange. It seems like others are doing the planning for us. The decision-making for us is being made elsewhere. We were supposed to come two nights before the game, and we were supposed to stay (Monday night) to recover.”“I think FIFA has to help us more than this. Everything is like a disaster,” the Iranian team’s captain, Mehdi Taremi, told reporters in Inglewood.Monday’s match was played against a backdrop of deep cultural and political conflict. Southern California is home to roughly 166,000 Iranian Americans — the nation’s largest diaspora.Outside of the stadium, the Associated Press reported that several hundred Iranian Americans staged a vocal protest against the current regime in Tehran. Inside the stadium, many turned their back to the pitch during the playing of the country’s official national anthem. Dozens of fans also ignored FIFA’s ban to display the Lion and Sun emblem, the centerpiece of the pre-1979 Iranian flag.But when the match began, any political division turned into pure athletic support. “It was an incredible atmosphere in the game, all 90 minutes,” Mr. Taremi said. “It was like home for us.”FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino, reportedly visited with the Iranian team after Monday’s game to offer words of encouragement. “In these two games, you will make everyone in the world proud of what you are doing,” he told them. “Thank you for being here. It’s big emotions. I know what you go through, I understand, but you are stronger than everything.“And you send a strong message to the entire world. Like tonight, you united the whole stadium here. Behind you, you are showing the whole world and sending such a strong message, so thank you.”Mr. Ghalenoei vowed Iran would continue its quest for World Cup glory unfettered. “We’re facing more hurdles,” he said. “But we’re not going to let that stop us from doing our best.”

Nice Game, Now Leave: Iranians Claim To Be ‘Most Oppressed’ Team Playing in the World Cup

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