"World Cup Is a Disaster, This Is Not Fair"... Why Iran Captain Strongly Criticized FIFA

Iran Captain Taremi: "This World Cup Feels Like a Disaster"

"FIFA Has Done Nothing from Start to Finish"

Mehdi Taremi, captain of the Iran national football team, strongly criticized the management of the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup.

According to local media reports, after Iran drew 1-1 against Egypt in the final Group G match of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup group stage held in Seattle, Washington, USA, on June 27 (Korean time), Taremi told reporters that the team faced significant difficulties preparing for the tournament due to U.S. entry restrictions and repeated travel issues. He directly called out FIFA and President Gianni Infantino for their inadequate response.

Match between Iran and Egypt in the final Group G group stage of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup held in Seattle, Washington, USA. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The Iranian team originally planned to use Arizona, USA, as its training base. However, as military tensions between the United States and Iran escalated, the team changed its plans. They ended up staying in Tijuana, Mexico, and had to travel to the United States for every match before immediately returning to Mexico. Furthermore, some logistics and support staff were unable to obtain visas, which caused further disruptions to the team's operations.

Taremi criticized, "This World Cup is a disaster. FIFA is supposed to resolve all issues that arise during the tournament, but since the tournament began, they have not solved anything."

Taremi also expressed his disappointment specifically toward President Infantino. "After our first match against New Zealand, President Infantino visited the locker room and promised us that 'this is only the beginning' and that he would address the issues. But nothing changed until the end of the group stage," he said.

Iran national soccer team captain Mehdi Taremi is responding to reporters' questions at an official press conference held on the 14th (local time) at the LA Stadium in Inglewood, California, one day before the 2026 CONCACAF World Cup match against New Zealand. Photo by Yonhap News

He continued, "We love Tijuana and the people of Mexico, but it is not right for professional players to compete in a tournament under these conditions. We have no staff to help us recover, nor any logistical support. We raised our concerns repeatedly, but no one helped us." He added, "If you want to eliminate us, just do so. But this is not fair."

Head coach Amir Ghalenoei shared a similar view. He emphasized that the U.S. entry restrictions and repeated long-distance travel made it difficult for the players to maintain optimal condition, stating, "This must never happen again." Coach Ghalenoei also urged FIFA to play a more active role with the co-hosting nations.

Meanwhile, FIFA has not issued any official statement regarding Taremi's public criticism.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.