‘Oppressed’ Iran forced to leave U.S. after New Zealand draw

‘Oppressed’ Iran forced to leave U.S. after New Zealand draw

ESPN-June162026

ason Le Miere

Jun 16, 2026, 01:34 AM ET

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei called his team perhaps the “most oppressed team in the whole World Cup” after he said Iran have been forced to leave Los Angeles and return to their training camp in Tijuana, Mexico, immediately after their opening match.

After perhaps the most strained buildup for any team in the long history of the World Cup, Iran finally took the pitch Monday at SoFi Stadium, drawing 2-2 with New Zealand in their politically charged opener.

But Ghalenoei began his postgame news conference by expressing his unhappiness that the team’s travel plans — a return to Mexico on Tuesday — had been changed at the last minute.

Iran’s base camp was moved to Tijuana from Arizona weeks before the tournament, despite all three of their group games taking place in the United States.

The team was scheduled to fly to the U.S. two days before each game, before departing the following day.

However, Iran traveled to Los Angeles on Sunday and have said their travel plans were altered again following Monday’s game.

“We spent so much time in the air commuting, 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’ve been told to return to our camp in Tijuana, and we are really troubled by that.”

He added: “I think perhaps our team is the most oppressed team in the whole World Cup.”

Ghalenoei did not say who had instructed the team to leave Monday night, although Iran captain Mehdi Taremi said that FIFA president Gianni Infantino had visited the team in the locker room after Monday’s game.

“For sure, he wants to try to help us, but it’s about other things, too. Everyone knows it,” Taremi said. “I don’t need to mention that because you know where we are.

“I think FIFA has to help us more than this. Let’s see what happens in the future.”

Taremi and Ghalenoei also expressed frustration that the president of Iran’s football federation, Mehdi Taj, along with other members of the team’s support staff, were prevented from traveling to the U.S.

“Everything is a disaster for us,” Taremi said.

Iran had become the first team to participate in a World Cup hosted by a country with which it was at war after months of tension and doubts about their participation.