Iran Football Coach Says Team 'Most Oppressed' At World Cup After Forced Return To Mexico

Iran's World Cup campaign has been overshadowed by logistical and political challenges after the team was unexpectedly ordered to leave the United States just hours after its opening match against New Zealand. Following a 2-2 draw at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles on Monday night, the Iranian squad was required to immediately return to its training base in Tijuana, Mexico, instead of remaining overnight in California as originally planned.

Coach Amir Ghalenoei expressed frustration over the decision, saying the team was deprived of valuable recovery time after a physically demanding match.

Recovery Plans Disrupted After Opening Match

Iran had anticipated spending the night in California to allow players to recover before returning to Tijuana the following day. Instead, the team was informed after the final whistle that it had to immediately board a flight back to Mexico, a journey of roughly 140 miles.

"They didn't even give us time to recover," Ghalenoei said through an interpreter. "After the game today, they said to us, 'You have to leave immediately.' It's very important for us to have time for recovery, (but) we are asked to get on a plane and return to our camp in Tijuana, and we are really troubled by that."

The coach did not identify who made the decision to alter the team's travel arrangements.

"We don't know why they are returning us, to be honest," Ghalenoei said. "I think it's very strange. It seems like others are doing the planning for us. The decision-making for us is being made elsewhere. We were supposed to come two nights before the game, and we were supposed to stay tonight to recover and return tomorrow at lunchtime. We have no idea why.

"I think our team is perhaps the most oppressed in the World Cup."

Political Tensions Continue to Affect Preparations

Iran's participation in the tournament has unfolded against the backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions. The team's World Cup preparations have faced disruption since the United States and Israel entered into conflict with Iran on Feb. 28.

Despite requesting that its group-stage matches be relocated outside the United States, Iran ultimately agreed to compete after FIFA declined the request.

Captain Mehdi Taremi revealed that the squad had already encountered significant travel-related difficulties before the opening match, including lengthy security procedures during what is normally a short journey from Tijuana to the Los Angeles area.

Taremi and Ghalenoei also criticized the absence of several key members of Iran's delegation. According to the pair, visa denials prevented the president of Iran's football federation, coaching staff members and media officials from traveling to the tournament.

"We have to leave Los Angeles right now, and it's not good for us," Taremi said about an hour after the match. "I think FIFA have to help us more than this. ... Everything is like a disaster, actually, for us."

Injury Concerns Add to Team's Challenges

Ghalenoei said multiple players suffered cramps during the match despite relatively mild playing conditions. He linked the physical issues to the team's disrupted preparations and extensive travel demands.

"Before the game, I said we haven't had time to adjust because of the travel," Ghalenoei said. "Many of our players, they had cramps, and that's why we had to substitute them. So it wasn't for technical reasons that we made substitutions. It was because of the injury and because of the cramp."

The coach added that medical evaluations would continue after the team's return to Tijuana.

"They will be examined (Tuesday) by our technical staff, but the fact they delayed our arrivals and they are forcing us to go back early without time for recovery, they are making the situation more difficult," he added.

Iran's remaining group-stage schedule includes a match against Belgium in Inglewood on Sunday before traveling to Seattle to face Egypt next week.

Dramatic Draw Played Before Passionate Iranian Crowd

On the field, Iran opened its tournament with a disappointing result against New Zealand, a side ranked 65 places below Team Melli in FIFA's world rankings. However, the Iranians demonstrated resilience by recovering from two separate deficits.

Mohammad Mohebi scored the equalizer in the 64th minute, helping Iran secure a 2-2 draw in front of a heavily pro-Iranian crowd at SoFi Stadium. The Los Angeles region is home to the world's largest Iranian population outside Iran.

The atmosphere inside and outside the stadium reflected the complexities of Iran's global diaspora. While several hundred Iranian Americans protested against the Iranian government outside the venue, many supporters inside the stadium expressed mixed emotions. Some fans turned their backs during the national anthem, while others displayed Lion and Sun symbols associated with Iran's pre-1979 flag despite FIFA's efforts to limit such displays.

Once the match began, however, the majority of supporters rallied behind the national team throughout the contest.

"It was an incredible atmosphere in the game, all 90 minutes," Taremi said. "It was like at home for us."