Iran Criticizes FIFA, US Over 5-Hour World Cup Travel Ordeal
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 16
Iran Criticizes FIFA, US Over 5-Hour World Cup Travel Ordeal
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 16
Summary
Iran’s coach and players said FIFA ordered them to leave Los Angeles immediately after a 2-2 draw with New Zealand, scrapping a planned overnight recovery before returning to their base in Tijuana.
A short trip from Tijuana to Los Angeles took about five hours, with players pointing to immigration-related delays and saying the repeated cross-border travel is hurting preparation and increasing fatigue and injury risk.
11 support staff were still unable to enter the United States after visa denials forced Iran to abandon a planned base in Tucson, leaving the team without key analysts, media officers and federation president Mehdi Taj.
Mehdi Taremi said FIFA president Gianni Infantino heard the complaints directly, while coach Amir Ghalenoei called Iran the tournament’s “most oppressed” team and contrasted that with the warm treatment they received in Mexico.