Iran captain Mehdi Taremi has accused FIFA and 2026 World Cup co-host USA of actively working to eliminate his team from the tournament. Speaking after Iran's 1-1 draw against Egypt in their final group G match in Seattle on 26/6, Taremi expressed frustration, stating, "This was a disastrous World Cup." He also criticized FIFA President Gianni Infantino, adding, "Mr. Infantino came to our locker room after our opening match against New Zealand and promised to resolve all issues, but in reality, he did nothing."

When asked by a reporter if he felt the World Cup organizers, including FIFA and the host USA, wanted Iran eliminated, Taremi replied: "We had to fight against almost everyone. The team could not stay in the USA; we had to travel and complete all immigration procedures every time we played. For example, today we were not allowed to stay in Seattle and had to fly back to Tijuana. So, from our perspective, it is true that they did everything to eliminate Iran."

Iran forward Mehdi Taremi (number 9) and his teammates walked around the field to thank fans after the 1-1 draw against Egypt in the final group G match of the 2026 World Cup, at Seattle, USA, on 26/6. *Photo: AP*

The Iran national team faced numerous logistical challenges at the 2026 World Cup, primarily due to political conflicts with the USA and Israel. Initially, Taremi and his teammates were scheduled to base in Tucson, Arizona, USA, for convenient play but were denied. Consequently, they had to relocate their main base to Tijuana, Mexico. This arrangement meant they were only permitted to fly to the USA to play one day before a match, requiring an immediate return to Tijuana afterward. Adding to these difficulties, the USA denied visas to 11 members of the Iranian delegation, including Football Federation President Mehdi Taj.

Taremi further elaborated on the impact of these issues: "We lacked logistical personnel because they did not have visas for the USA. So, after each match, the team had to fly back to Tijuana. This is not right, as the team had no time to rest or recover. FIFA should have addressed the issue, but they could do nothing from the start. This is very unfair."

Despite these significant difficulties and obstacles, Iran showed resilience, drawing 2-2 with New Zealand, 0-0 with Belgium, and 1-1 with Egypt. This marked their first undefeated group stage run in seven World Cup appearances. With 3 points and a goal difference of 0, Iran finished third in group G, ranking sixth among the best third-placed teams.

To advance to the knockout stage, Iran needed three specific results to occur: Algeria had to draw with Austria in group J, DR Congo had to defeat Uzbekistan in group K, and Croatia had to earn points against Ghana in group L. If these conditions were met, Iran would qualify for the World Cup knockout stage for the first time.

Coach Amir Ghalenoei also criticized the host USA's unfair treatment of his team. He stated that the deprivation of World Cup participation rights affected the players' physical and mental well-being.

Trung Thu (according to Telegraph)