Read 3 minutes21 Jun 2026 03:27 PM IST
Iran coach Amir Ghalenoi has questioned why the other 47 managers at the 2026 FIFA World Cup have remained silent about the treatment of his team by the United States, saying they would have spoken up if another nation had faced a similar situation.
“I ask a question to 47 other coaches, and none of them responded to me,” Ghalenoi said ahead of Iran’s Group G clash with Belgium on Saturday.
“We’re here for football, not politics. Our complaints are about the way they treat us. I haven’t heard anything from the other coaches, and I’m sure they’re busy building their own teams. But if I saw another team treating us the way we’re being treated, I’d say something.”
Ghalenoi also struck an emotional note as he thanked his supporters back home.
“I am very happy that the Iranian nation is behind us,” he said. “We have martyrs in Iran, we play for them.”
The coach said travel restrictions and visa denials had hampered Iran’s preparations during the World Cup. He said a request to fly to Los Angeles on Friday before Sunday’s match against Belgium was denied, forcing Iran to spend less than 16 hours in the city before the game.
“We wanted 24 hours in Los Angeles, but they gave us less than 16 hours, and that’s why we had to leave our training halfway through,” Galenoi said. “These obstacles have made it very difficult for us.”
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Iran has been operating under travel restrictions imposed by the US since the outbreak of war between the two countries earlier this year. The team is based in Tijuana, Mexico, only traveling to the United States on the eve of the matches before returning immediately afterwards.
Galenoi said FIFA president Gianni Infantino had tried to get US officials to allow the team to travel earlier, but the request was unsuccessful.
“They said, ‘Sorry, we couldn’t make it,'” Galenoi said. “It’s going to affect us mentally, especially as a head coach I want to focus on the technical stuff.”
Despite the setback, Galenoi said he hoped Iran would be allowed to travel to Seattle for next week’s group-stage match against Egypt after FIFA talks with American officials.
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Midfielder Saeed Ezzatolahi echoed his coach’s concerns, saying the constant travel prevented Iran from preparing on equal terms with other teams.
Belgium defender Thomas Meunier also expressed sympathy for Iran’s situation, saying that geopolitical conflict inevitably spills over into football, and acknowledged that some Iranian players’ families may be directly affected by the war.