The Iranian football federation announced on Thursday that it will lodge a formal complaint with FIFA, alleging that its national team is facing travel restrictions during the World Cup being held in North America. Iran's squad, based in Tijuana, Mexico, had sought permission to fly to the United States two days ahead of their upcoming match against Belgium in Los Angeles on Sunday. However, a spokesman for the Iranian federation confirmed that the request was rejected.
"Despite having submitted its preparation schedule for the tournament well in advance, Iran's national football team has once again encountered restrictions imposed by the organizers, affecting the implementation of its technical staff's plans," the spokesman stated. He explained that with the match scheduled for 12:00 p.m. local time in Los Angeles (1900 GMT), the federation requested an early arrival to allow players "to adapt to the match conditions, complete their final training session, and finalize preparations." The request was denied despite the technical justifications provided.
FIFA Complaint and Previous Grievances
The federation expressed its dissatisfaction and vowed to "formally express its dissatisfaction and lodge an official complaint with FIFA through the appropriate channels." This is not the first time Iran has raised concerns about travel arrangements. The team was reportedly angered by having to leave Los Angeles on the evening of their World Cup opener, a 2-2 draw against New Zealand.
US Administration Response
The United States administration has countered the Iranian claims. Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, stated on Monday that Iran was informed in advance that they would only be allowed to enter the US on the day before each match. "The team will be allowed to come in, match day minus one, so the day before the match," Giuliani told CBS News. "They'll be asked to leave the day that the match wraps up, so the evening of the match. And they'll be able to do that again in Los Angeles." He added that the same procedure would apply for Iran's final group game against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
Pre-Tournament Challenges
Iran's preparations for the World Cup were disrupted by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The team relocated its training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana on the US-Mexico border shortly before the tournament commenced. Additionally, up to 15 team officials have reportedly been denied visas to enter the United States, further complicating the team's logistics.
