The coach of Iran’s World Cup team said the country had been ordered to leave the US and return to its training base in Mexico, just hours after opening the politically charged tournament by drawing 2-2 against New Zealand on Monday evening.
Coach Amir Ghalenoei did not say who ordered the Iranians to leave earlier than planned. The team had expected to spend the night in California to maximize the normal recovery process after the opening game, but was told after the game that everyone had to immediately board a plane for the 140-mile trip back to Tijuana.
“They didn’t even give us time to recover,” Ghalenoei said through an interpreter. “After today’s match they said to us: ‘You have to leave immediately.’ It is very important for us that we have time to recover, but we are being asked to get on a plane and return to our camp in Tijuana, and that is really bothering us.”
The Iranians’ World Cup cycle has been in turmoil since the US and Israel started a war against Iran on February 28. Iran ultimately decided to participate even after FIFA rejected its request to move the three group stage matches from the US.
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Iran captain Mehdi Taremi said the team passed five hours of travel and security checks during what is normally a very short trip from Tijuana to the Los Angeles area on Sunday.
“To be honest, we don’t know why they are sending us back,” Ghalenoei said. «I find it very strange. It seems like others are doing the planning for us. The decision-making for us is being made somewhere else. We were going to come two nights before the game, and we were going to stay overnight to recover and return around lunchtime tomorrow. We have no idea why.»
“I think our team is perhaps the most oppressed at the World Cup.”
Taremi and Ghalenoei both criticized the lack of many key team staff members – including the president of the Iranian Football Federation, coaching support staff and media officials – who were denied visas by the US, further exacerbating the team’s difficult preparations.
“We have to leave Los Angeles now, and it’s not good for us,” Taremi said about an hour after the game. «I think FIFA needs to help us more than this. … Everything is actually a disaster for us.»
Ghalenoei said several players suffered cramps during the game, which was played in mild conditions. He attributed the injury problems to the lack of proper preparation time caused by Iran’s bureaucratic and diplomatic obstacles.
“Before the game I said we didn’t have time to adapt because of the travel,” Ghalenoei said. «Many of our players had cramps and that’s why we had to replace them. So it wasn’t for technical reasons that we made substitutions. It was because of the injury and because of the cramp. They will be examined (Tuesday) by our technical staff, but the fact that they delayed our arrival and forced us to return early without time for recovery, they make the situation more difficult.»
The Iranians’ remaining two matches in the group stage are against Belgium in Inglewood on Sunday, followed by a trip to Seattle to play Egypt next week.
Iran opened its World Cup with a disappointing draw against a team 65 places lower in the FIFA rankings. Yet the Iranians also overcame two deficits in a thrilling match, getting a 64th-minute equalizer from Mohammad Mohebi in front of a strong pro-Iranian crowd at the SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles, which has the world’s largest population of Iranians outside Iran.
The game was played in a crackling atmosphere created in part by a conflicted diaspora fanbase that remains furious with the current Iranian government but still largely supports Team Melli.
As several hundred Iranian Americans protested against the government outside, many diaspora fans cheered their backs on the field during the national anthem. Dozens of lion and sun emblems – the centerpiece of Iran’s official flag before 1979 – were displayed in the crowd despite attempts by FIFA to keep them away, while dozens of other fans wore the lion and sun emblems on T-shirts.
Still, the vast majority of the crowd vocally supported the Iranian players as soon as the match started.
“It was an incredible atmosphere in the match, all 90 minutes,” Taremi said. “It was like being at home for us.”
Elijah netted just early in each half for New Zealand, but Iran responded twice with some wonderful goals, including Mohebi’s header off a perfect pass from Ramin Rezaeian, who had scored through the side of his boot in the first half.
Mohebi appeared to mime shooting a gun after his goal, sparking criticism online. He also made the now ubiquitous «ice in my veins» gesture six miles from SoFi Stadium by Los Angeles Lakers rookie D’Angelo Russell a decade ago before raising a heart to the cheering fans.
“The Iranians living in Los Angeles create a great atmosphere,” Mohebi said. «That party comes to mind, and I liked this» – pointing to his arm – «for all the fans. Just a party.»
Players from both teams hugged and shook hands after the final whistle, with at least one jersey being swapped. While Ghalenoei sat alone in the dugout, his players gathered and walked across the field, applauding the remaining thousands of flag-shaking and roaring fans.
Both of Iran’s next two matches are tougher on paper, jeopardizing their chances of advancing out of the World Cup group stages for the first time. Iran, Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand each have one point after the opening round.
“We face even more obstacles, but we won’t let them stop us from doing our best,” Ghalenoei said. “I think today was one of the best games of the World Cup so far, and I think the fans really enjoyed it both inside and outside the stadium.”
Published on June 16, 2026
