Iran is the most oppressed team at the World Cup, says coach Amir Ghalenoei

Iran have hit out at their treatment in the United States, with their coach saying his team are the “most oppressed” at the World Cup.

The team’s build-up to the finals has been profoundly impacted by the conflict between Iran and the United States, with the squad forced to move their training camp to Mexico.

They opened their World Cup with a 2-2 draw against New Zealand, roared on by a passionate Iranian-American crowd.

Coach Amir Ghalenoei welcomed the fans’ support, but said it had not been matched by those responsible for managing the team’s movements in what is believed to be a strong criticism of the US authorities.

“We’ve spent so much time commuting in the air,” he said.

“They didn’t even give us time to recover after the game today. They said we had to leave immediately.

“It’s very important for us to have time for recovery and yet we were asked to return to Tijuana and we are really troubled by that.

“We do not know why they are returning us. I think it’s very strange. It seems like others are doing the planning for us, decisions are made elsewhere, we were supposed to arrive two nights before the game and we were not permitted, we were supposed to stay tonight and return tomorrow lunchtime but I have no idea why, and they haven’t told us.

“Our team is the most oppressed one in the whole World Cup.

“The federation is absent here. Our media isn’t here. Our management team, many of them aren’t here. We used to have a part of a coaching team to help with substitutions but we didn’t have that. Many in the technical area had to deal with that.”

FIFA was approached for comment regarding the team’s schedule.

Iran captain Mehdi Taremi described their treatment as a “disaster” and revealed FIFA president Gianni Infantino had been in the dressing room, offering to “help” the team.

Footage of Infantino published on X sees him telling the players “you are stronger than everything”, “this is just the beginning” adding that the team were “writing history, the whole world is watching you”.

Infantino is also understood to have told the players he would do what he could to ensure more of the Iranian delegation, who did not receive visas, could travel to the USA for their remaining group games.

Taremi added: “We don’t have our President, and no one from staff, also, which is so important for us. Our manager, for example, has come here doing the job of the media, and you know everything is like a disaster for us.”

On Tuesday the Iranian football federation (FFIRI) confirmed the US visa of one of their players, Medhi Torabi, had expired after the trip to Los Angeles.

Unlike his team-mates, Torabi’s visa was single entry. The FFIRI confirmed later on Tuesday it had secured a new, multiple entry visa for Torabi, with Iran due to face Belgium in Los Angeles again on Sunday and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.