Iran captain Mehdi Taremi raised sharp concerns about the conditions his team has faced at the World Cup in the United States after Iran drew 1-1 with Egypt, a result that could still leave them in contention for a place in the knockout stage.
On the pitch, Taremi missed an early penalty and struck a header off the crossbar. Later in the match an apparent late goal for Iran - which would have secured progression from the group stage at the seventh attempt - was disallowed for offside.
The game carried a charged atmosphere off the field as well, with some spectators waving pre-revolutionary Iranian flags and booing the Iranian national anthem. Those scenes came just hours after the United States carried out strikes on Iran, with both countries accusing the other of breaching the terms of a ceasefire that had been reached the previous week.
Beyond crowd reactions and international tension, Iran has faced practical obstacles in getting to match venues. The team has contended with travel restrictions, although U.S. authorities said Iran would be permitted to travel from their base in Mexico two days before the game instead of one.
Taremi called the tournament arrangements unfair and labelled the situation a logistical "disaster," urging FIFA to intervene and resolve the issues he says have persisted since the start of the competition. "FIFA, they have to solve every problem here but unfortunately they couldn’t stop, since the beginning," he told reporters.
He also recalled a visit by FIFA President Gianni Infantino to Iran’s changing room after their opening match, saying Infantino told them, "it’s just the beginning", but adding that the group stage finishes the following day and Iran lacked essential logistics personnel.
Taremi spoke directly about the strain of repeated travel, questioning why his team repeatedly had to travel to Tijuana. He emphasised affection for the local population while stressing the professional expectations of international competition: "How (is it) possible we always have to travel to Tijuana? We love the people of Mexico. We love Tijuana, it’s so good, they are so humble people. We love them. But as professional players, in a professional competition, it’s not right."
He also expressed a sense of exclusion, suggesting Iran’s presence at the tournament might no longer be wanted, while noting that the team could still reach the round of 32 depending on other results in Saturday’s group matches. "Who wants to help us? Who? If they want us to be out - OK, let’s (be) out, let’s get out. But that’s not fair," he said.
FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of normal office hours.
Match context: Iran drew 1-1 with Egypt; missed penalty and disallowed late goal affected qualification possibilities.
Logistics and governance: Taremi described organizational failings and called on FIFA to address ongoing problems; the Iran camp reported travel constraints despite a U.S. update allowing earlier travel from Mexico.
Geopolitical overlay: The match took place amid heightened tensions after U.S. strikes on Iran and mutual accusations of ceasefire violations, with visible fan responses during the game.