‘Don’t know why we are being sent back’: Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei upset after team asked to leave US immediately after FIFA World Cup 2026 opener

Iran’s FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign began with a thrilling 2-2 draw against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, but the team’s post-match concerns quickly moved away from the result. Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei raised questions over the team’s travel arrangements, claiming the squad was asked to leave the United States immediately after the match and return to their base in Tijuana, Mexico.

Ghalenoei said the team had expected to stay overnight in California to recover before travelling back the next day. However, the players were reportedly told after the final whistle that they needed to leave right away.

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Iran coach questions sudden travel decision

The Iran coach expressed disappointment over the decision, saying the change in plans affected the team’s recovery process after a physically demanding match.

“They didn’t even give us time to recover, after the game they told us that we had to leave immediately. Recovery is extremely important after a match, but we were asked to get on a plane and return to our camp in Tijuana. We are really troubled by that,” Ghalenoei said through an interpreter.

Ghalenoei added that the team was unaware of the reason behind the sudden change and suggested that decisions were being taken outside the team’s control.
“To be honest, we don’t know why we are being sent back. It feels very strange. It seems that decisions are being made for us elsewhere. We were supposed to arrive two days before the game and stay overnight afterwards before returning the next day. We have no idea why that changed,” he added.The coach also claimed Iran had faced several difficulties during their preparation for the tournament.

“I think our team is perhaps the most oppressed in the World Cup,” Ghalenoei concluded.

Captain Mehdi Taremi raises concerns over visa issues

Iran captain Mehdi Taremi also spoke about the challenges faced by the team, saying some members of the delegation could not join the squad after visa problems.

He said officials from the Iranian Football Federation, support staff and media representatives were among those affected.

“We have to leave Los Angeles right now, and it is not good for us,” Taremi said. “I think FIFA have to help us more than this. … Everything is like a disaster, actually, for us,” he concluded.

Iran and New Zealand share points in World Cup opener

The match itself produced an exciting contest, with New Zealand taking the lead twice but failing to hold on. Elijah Just scored in the seventh and 54th minutes, with both goals created by captain Chris Wood.

Iran responded on both occasions. Ramin Rezaeian scored the equaliser before half-time, while Mohammad Mohebbi headed in Iran’s second goal after the break to make it 2-2.

Both teams had chances late in the game, but neither side managed to score the winning goal, forcing them to settle for one point each in their Group G opener.

Iran faces another US travel challenge

Iran’s travel concerns may continue during the group stage. Their next Group G match against Belgium is also scheduled at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.

The team will have to travel back to the United States later this week before returning to Los Angeles for their next fixture.