"This kind of behaviour will negatively impact the spirit of football." That was Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei, not mincing words at a press conference FIFA officials had tried to keep strictly about tactics. Nobody was surprised when it didn't stay that way.
The situation Iran arrived in is genuinely extraordinary. Visa denials. A base camp across the border in Mexico. A US president who said in March the team's safety would be "under threat" if they came. And a squad that still, somehow, qualified top of their Asian group — one loss, two draws in ten games — and has been winning friendlies in the build-up to the tournament.
Mehdi Taremi, the former Inter Milan striker, pointed out that the US didn't just create problems for Iran. He cited the denial of entry to Somali referee Omar Artan as evidence that this is a wider issue. "The sensation that people have looking forward to the World Cup," Taremi said, "I think this time, maybe they didn't have the same experience."
A team based in Mexico, playing in the US
The logistics are almost absurd. Iran train in Mexico, travel to Los Angeles to play, then go back. Ghalenoei confirmed after the press conference that they'd be returning to Mexico after Monday's opener against New Zealand. That's not a preparation strategy — that's a compromise forced by political reality.
Both men were careful to say they represent all Iranians, home and abroad, with protests from Iranian opposition activists expected in Los Angeles. Taremi specifically: "Football can always unite all factions." Whether that message lands in a city where significant opposition to the Iranian government exists is another matter entirely.
Iran's World Cup odds in Group stage markets — against New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt — deserve attention. This is a team in form, with top-level talent, navigating circumstances that would unsettle any squad. How much the travel disruption and political atmosphere affect them on the pitch is the only question that actually matters now.
Taremi closed the press conference with a dry observation that landed harder than any tactical question would have: "Nobody asked football-related questions. We have high respect for New Zealand, and we hope it will be a good game."
