Iran's World Cup captain used his post‑match press conference to accuse FIFA of staging a 'disaster World Cup', claiming football's governing body had failed to protect his team from politically driven US visa restrictions that forced Iran to play and travel under conditions he said were 'not right' and 'not fair'.
Speaking to reporters at Seattle Stadium on 27 June 2026 after Iran's 1-1 draw against Egypt, Mehdi Taremi said problems off the pitch had overshadowed his side's campaign and left them feeling abandoned by organisers. The point left Iran third in Group G, and while they briefly waited on other results, their exit was confirmed the next day when Algeria's late equaliser against Austria sent Algeria through on goal difference.
A Catalogue Of Grievances Before A Ball Was Kicked
Iran's ordeal at the 2026 World Cup began long before kick-off. The Iran Football Federation's secretary-general, Hedayat Mombeini, and its vice president, Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, were among 14 backroom staff and officials who were left without US visas ahead of group matches in Los Angeles and Seattle.
The federation characterised the decision in a statement on its official website as having 'effectively denied the Iranian national team the opportunity for a level playing field and a competition free from discrimination.'
The Iranian Embassy in Ankara responded to a social media post by US Ambassador Tom Barrack, in which he had praised embassy staff for processing the players' visas: 'You cannot whitewash conduct that violates FIFA regulations and breaches the United States' host obligations merely by praising yourselves. This represents the worst possible form of politically biased interference in sport.'
Iran's football federation negotiated at the last minute to move the team's base camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, due in part to uncertainty over whether they would be granted visas to enter the United States. Iran's ambassador to Mexico additionally confirmed that the team had been notified that under their visa conditions, players must enter and leave US soil on the same day as their matches.
That restriction forced Iran to fly back to Tijuana in the early hours of the morning after each of their three group stage fixtures, forfeiting the overnight recovery time available to every other competing nation.
To the Iranian National Football Team (Team Melli):
— Iran in Japan/ 駐日イラン大使館 (@IraninJapan) June 28, 2026
You endured the unfair and discriminatory treatment of the host country, the U.S., yet you fought on the pitch with utmost motivation, dedication, and sportsmanship.
Though you did not advance to the next round, you captured… pic.twitter.com/WVMYpgDmwh
Taremi's Verdict: 'No One Helps. No One.'
At his post‑match press conference, Taremi addressed each grievance in unsparing terms. 'It's a disaster World Cup; a disaster,' Taremi said.
'I mean, FIFA, they have to solve every problem here but unfortunately they could not solve it since the beginning. Mr Infantino came to our changing room after the first game against New Zealand and said it's just the beginning. We don't have our logistic people here, they don't have a visa. How is it possible we always have to travel from Tijuana? We love the people in Tijuana. We love Mexico. They are humble people and we love them but as a professional player in a professional competition, it's not right. It's not fair.'
Taremi then challenged FIFA directly: 'Who wants to help us? If they want us to be out, then OK, let's get out. But that's not fair. We don't have recovery or logistic people to help us.' He also noted the complete absence of Iranian media at the match and post‑match press conference, a stark contrast to the Egyptian press contingent, which was loudly present throughout.
Asked whether he believed tournament organisers wanted Iran eliminated, Taremi replied: 'We have to fight against everything here. I don't know if people want that or not, but as we see it from our perspective, yeah, they are like that, I think.'
The captain of Iran’s National Team, Mehdi Taremi, calls out FIFA and the U.S.:
— Power to the People ☭🕊 (@ProudSocialist) June 27, 2026
“This is a disaster World Cup. We can’t stay in the country and have to travel every time we play without any recovery. Now we can’t stay in Seattle and have to return to Tijuana. This is not fair.” pic.twitter.com/z0gLN07bkB
Coach Urges Infantino To 'Stand Up' To Host Treatment
Head coach Amir Ghalenoei was equally direct in his post‑match press conference, saying: 'I know Mr Infantino has tried his best to minimise the problems as much as possible, but it was the host that wasn't very good to us. I urge FIFA to not let the hosts treat teams and players the same way in the future. I hope Mr Infantino will actually stand up to such behaviour.'
Ghalenoei added: 'To my players and the team, I want to say I'm proud of them. What these young people, these players have done, should be written in history because the host country treated us very unfairly. Their behaviour towards us has been really terrible and we hope the world will be aware of that. Despite all of these problems, we've been able to perform well and the world is proud of Iranians and our team. I think that's our greatest achievement despite all the obstacles and hurdles they put in our way.'
Iranian head coach Amir Ghalenoei has urged FIFA president Gianni Infantino to stand up to the US following his side's treatment at the World Cup 🇮🇷 pic.twitter.com/gEXawh3ECY
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 27, 2026
FIFA's Defence And Washington's Justification
A FIFA official confirmed to reporters on the eve of the Egypt match that Infantino had been in contact with the Iran Football Federation 'to ensure their smooth participation' and insisted its position on Iran 'is no different than our position on all other' teams competing in the tournament.
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House FIFA task force, confirmed that some Iranian officials were 'not coming in' and, without naming individuals, suggested that 'there are some people that claim that they are coaches that may not be coaches.' He added that the president 'wants to make sure that they have every opportunity to compete on a level playing field here, while also making sure that people that are directly working with the IRGC have no ability to access the United States of America.'
Piara Powar, head of FIFA's anti‑discrimination monitoring partner, issued a statement saying: 'The disruption is such that one has to ask who is running the World Cup. Is it FIFA or is it the US government with its racially charged immigration policies?'
Iran left Seattle having gone unbeaten across three World Cup group stage matches, and left the tournament having asked a question that FIFA has not yet answered.
