World Cup row erupts as Iran plans FIFA protest over ‘inconsistent’ US travel restrictions

Ahead of their match against Belgium, the Islamic Republic of Iran Football Federation revealed that they would an official complaint with FIFA.

Iran’s football federation has stated that they will lodge an official protest with FIFA af the US reportedly denied the national team’s request to travel to Los Angeles two days before their FIFA World Cup Group G match against Belgium. Iran had a positive start in their World Cup campaign with a 2-2 draw with New Zealand in Group G in Los Angeles.

The Iranian players had to leave Los Angeles within three hours after the match, travelling to their training base in Mexico due to US travel restrictions.

Ahead of their match against Belgium, the Islamic Republic of Iran Football Federation said, “The football federation of Iran believes that such restrictions are inconsistent with the principle of providing equal conditions for all participating teams and may negatively affect teams’ preparation processes. Consequently, the federation will formally express its dissatisfaction and lodge an official complaint with FIFA through the appropriate channels.”

“Despite these limitations, Iran’s national team will continue its preparation programme and remain fully focused on its upcoming match against Belgium.”

Due to the Iran-USA war, Iran’s participation in the tournament was in doubt. The team received the visa only 10 days before the FIFA World Cup, following talks between FIFA and the US government.

‘They are making the situation more and more difficult’

The team arrived a day prior to their opener against New Zealand. After the match, they were expected to stay the night in Los Angeles, but the team was informed that they needed to fly back to Mexico the same night, and they had to cancel their recovery sessions.

“After the game today they said to us: ‘You have to leave immediately.’ Whereas it’s very important for us to have recovery. We’ve been asked to get on a plane and return to our camp in Tijuana and we are really troubled by that”, Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei said.

“They are forcing us to go back early. They are making the situation more and more difficult, more hurdles, but we’re not going to let that stop us from doing our best. We don’t know why they’re returning us. It’s very strange. It seems like others are doing the planning for us … We were supposed to arrive two nights before the game but they didn’t permit (it). We were supposed to stay here tonight to recover and return tomorrow lunchtime. Our team is the most oppressed one in the whole World Cup. Our federation isn’t here, our media isn’t here, our management isn’t here.”