Federation says that part of the technical committee had requests denied or delayed
The Iranian football team declared that it was suffering unequal treatment from the North American authorities during the 2026 World Cup. Speaking to journalists this Sunday (June 21, 2026), before the clash against the Belgium team, in Los Angeles, coach Amir Qalinoi stated that visa restrictions have prevented part of the delegation from entering the USA early enough to prepare for the matches.
According to the technical committee, the Iranian delegation has been staying in Tijuana, Mexico, since the start of the tournament, due to delays and denials in issuing visas to enter the USA. The Iranian Football Federation claims that around 12 members of the technical and administrative teams faced difficulties in obtaining entry authorization, which led the entity to formally protest to FIFA.
“We needed 24 hours in the United States to prepare for the match, but we had about 16 hours actually, and we were unable to complete the training as planned. This makes our preparation more difficult”said Qalinoi in the pre-game. The information comes from the French television channel RMC Sport.
The coach also said that the problem affects the competitive balance between the teams: “All teams should receive the same treatment. This harms the spirit of football and is unacceptable in a World Cup.” And he added: “It also affects us psychologically. I know FIFA is doing everything it can, but that doesn’t mean it’s managing to resolve it.”
FEDERATION LEADS COMPLAINT TO FIFA
The general secretary of the Iranian Federation, Hedayat Mambini, stated on Friday (June 20) that the situation is a violation of sportsmanship. According to him, the case was formally taken to FIFA after the team’s debut in the tournament, when Iran drew 2-2 with New Zealand.
The federation also commented on the lack of public statements from other coaches about the case and said it expected more support from other teams throughout the competition.
