Iran criticized conditions at the World Cup after draw with New Zealand: player recovery once again pushed into the background
Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei sharply criticized the organizational conditions his national team faced after opening its campaign at the 2026 World Cup, where Iran drew 2:2 with New Zealand on Monday, June 15, in Inglewood near Los Angeles. According to a report by the AP agency, Ghalenoei said after the match that the team had been told it had to leave the United States of America immediately and return to its base in Tijuana, Mexico, even though the coaching staff, according to his words, had expected to stay in California for the usual recovery process. Such an outcome further intensified the issue of logistics for the Iranian national team, which even before the start of the tournament had been burdened by visa restrictions, a change of the planned base, and the absence of part of the delegation.
On the pitch, Iran avoided defeat with two comebacks from behind, but immediately after the match the sporting result remained overshadowed by complaints about travel and accommodation conditions. Sky Sports stated in its match report that New Zealand twice led through goals by Elijah Just, while Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebbi equalized for Iran. The same source states that, after Belgium and Egypt drew 1:1, all four national teams in Group G finished the first round with one point each, which makes the continuation of the competition completely open. For Iran, this means that the fight to advance continues in circumstances in which sporting preparation overlaps with diplomatic and operational problems.
Ghalenoei claims the team was not given time to recover
After the match, Ghalenoei expressed dissatisfaction with the decision to return urgently to Tijuana, and according to the AP he did not specify who made that decision. The Iran head coach said that the national team should have stayed in Los Angeles after the match, completed recovery, and only the next day set off toward the Mexican base. Instead, according to his words, the players had to re-enter a regime of travel, checks, and border transfer immediately after an exhausting match. For a national team that still has matches against Belgium and Egypt in the group, such a schedule is not only a logistical inconvenience but also a question of sporting competitiveness.
According to The Guardian, Ghalenoei assessed that new obstacles are constantly being placed in front of his team, but at the same time stressed that the players will not give up on trying to achieve a result. Iran captain Mehdi Taremi also criticized the situation, warning that the team does not have the support it considers necessary at a tournament of this level. Taremi, according to the AP, said that the journey from Tijuana to the Los Angeles area the day before the match lasted about five hours because of travel and security checks, even though the distance is relatively short. The AP states that Tijuana is about 140 miles from Los Angeles, which under normal circumstances would not have to represent a major problem, but in this case becomes more demanding because of border and security procedures.
In sporting terms, the question of recovery is particularly important because group matches are played at short intervals, while travel and procedures reduce the time for regeneration, analysis, and preparation for the next opponent. According to The Guardian, midfielder Mohammad Mohebi warned that such a rhythm can increase fatigue and the risk of muscular problems. Although such assessments after a match do not mean that injuries will necessarily occur, they show that within the Iranian camp logistics is perceived as a factor that can directly affect performance. In modern international football, the difference between advancing and being eliminated often comes down to details, and controlling the players' workload is one of the key elements of preparation.
Iran twice caught New Zealand in one of the most open matches of the group
On the pitch, Iran showed resilience that at least partly mitigated the consequences of the demanding preparation. According to Sky Sports' report, New Zealand took the lead as early as the seventh minute after Chris Wood held up the ball and took part in the move that Elijah Just finished with a shot for 1:0. After the initial shock, Iran established a better rhythm and reached the equalizer in the 32nd minute, when Ramin Rezaeian scored to make it 1:1. Such a development gave the match an open character, because neither national team managed to fully take control of midfield or calm the tempo.
New Zealand went ahead again in the 54th minute, and Sky Sports states that Wood and Just were once more key in the move for the second New Zealand goal. Just's second goal put Iran under additional pressure, especially because defeat in the first match would have significantly complicated the path toward the knockout stage. Ghalenoei's team nevertheless responded again, and in the 64th minute Mohammad Mohebbi headed in after a cross from the right side. The goal for 2:2 allowed Iran to begin the tournament with a point, although New Zealand could regret in the closing stages the missed opportunity to achieve a major victory.
FIFA's official match report hub confirmed the result Iran - New Zealand 2:2, as well as the other result in Group G, Belgium and Egypt's 1:1 draw. This means that after the first round the group is completely level, with no team having gained a points advantage. According to the competition rules published by FIFA, the two best national teams from each group go into the round of 32, and they are joined by the eight best third-placed national teams from the 12 groups. In such a format, even one point from a demanding match can have value, but only if larger result drops are avoided in the continuation of the tournament.
Visa disputes and a change of base marked Iran's preparations
The problems that Ghalenoei complained about after the draw with New Zealand did not appear suddenly. According to Al Jazeera, which cited AFP and Reuters, the Iranian side had already criticized the United States of America on June 6 because visas had not been issued to part of the national team's support staff. The same report stated that the Iranian players received visas late on the eve of departure for North America, while the Iranian embassy in Turkey claimed that a large part of the management, executive, and professional staff remained without approval to enter the USA. That dispute erupted several days before the start of the World Cup, a tournament that in 2026 is being jointly organized by the United States of America, Mexico, and Canada.
According to The Guardian, the Iranian national team was originally supposed to have its base in Tucson, Arizona, but because of immigration and security issues it was moved to Tijuana. The British newspaper states that part of the support delegation initially remained without American visas, and that the number of people whose entry was not approved was later reduced after some visas were nevertheless issued. Among those who, according to the same source, were not with the team in Los Angeles were part of the media staff, analysts, and the president of the Iranian football federation, Mehdi Taj. For a national team at a major tournament, such absences are not only a protocol problem, because media, logistical, and analytical teams participate in daily preparation, communication, and organization of work.
For that reason, Ghalenoei and Taremi directed their complaints not only toward the immediate schedule after the match, but also toward the broader treatment of the national team during the tournament. The Guardian states that FIFA president Gianni Infantino visited the Iranian dressing room after the match and delivered a message of support to the players. According to the same report, Taremi said that Iranian representatives presented their complaints directly to Infantino. By June 16, 2026, it was not clear from the available reports who exactly made the decision on the team's urgent return to Mexico, nor whether FIFA had announced concrete changes in the organization of Iran's travel for the remaining matches.
The political background was visible off the pitch as well
The match between Iran and New Zealand was played in a broader political atmosphere that additionally burdened the Iranian national team's appearance in the United States of America. The AP reported that Iran's World Cup cycle entered a period of disruption after the start of a conflict involving the USA, Israel, and Iran, and that FIFA rejected Iran's request to move three group matches outside American territory. Such a context does not change the sporting demands on the pitch, but it explains why travel, visas, security checks, and public appearances by the Iranian national team are being watched with unusually great attention.
According to Sky Sports, ahead of the match protesters gathered outside the stadium calling for changes in Tehran, while flags with the pre-revolutionary lion-and-sun symbol could also be seen in the stands. The same source states that whistles from part of the crowd were heard during the playing of the Iranian anthem, but also that the national team had strong vocal support from the stands during the match. Such a divided atmosphere shows that Iran's appearance at this World Cup cannot be viewed exclusively through the football result. The team, however, tried on the grass to remain within a sporting framework and, with two comebacks from behind, showed stability at a moment when the environment was extremely demanding.
Ghalenoei, according to The Guardian, particularly praised the hospitality in Mexico and the people in Tijuana, saying that Iranian players felt accepted there. That statement is important because it shows the difference between criticism of American and tournament logistical conditions and the attitude toward the Mexican hosts. Iran's base in Tijuana now remains the key preparation point between matches, but also a symbol of the compromise solution that enabled the national team's participation despite visa and diplomatic obstacles. For the coaching staff, the greatest challenge will be to turn that base into a functional environment, even though travel toward matches in the USA will continue to require precise organization.
Group G remains completely open, but Iran has no room for new disruptions
After the first round, Iran, New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt have one point each, which makes Group G one of the most balanced at the start of the tournament. According to the schedule published by Fox Sports, Iran plays its next match against Belgium on June 21 in Los Angeles, and finishes the group on June 26 against Egypt in Seattle. Both matches will be more demanding in sporting terms than the opener, because Belgium enters the group as a European favorite with high individual qualities, while Egypt has a team that traditionally relies on discipline, experience, and the attacking class of its leading players. For Iran, every day of recovery, training, and tactical preparation will therefore have additional value.
In the expanded World Cup format, a draw in the first round is not a bad result, especially if the team avoids defeat in its next appearance. According to FIFA's rules, in addition to the two best national teams in the group, the eight best third-placed teams also advance to the knockout stage, so points won in evenly matched games may prove decisive. But precisely because of that, the logistical disruptions described by the Iranian camp carry greater weight: in a group where nobody has pulled away in the table, off-field details can affect freshness and concentration. If Iran wants to turn the battling draw with New Zealand into a foundation for advancement, it will have to simultaneously stabilize its performance on the grass and find a way to reduce the consequences of travel between Mexico and the American host cities.
For now, it is clear only that the Iranian national team enters the continuation of the tournament with one point, open prospects, and a series of questions for which there are still no official answers. Ghalenoei's criticisms have put into focus the conditions under which teams compete at the first World Cup with 48 national teams and three host countries. Although such a tournament model brought an expansion of the competition and a larger number of matches, the Iranian case shows that political circumstances, border regimes, and visa issues can strongly mark the preparation of an individual team. The coming days will show whether the complaints from the Iranian camp will lead to practical changes or whether the team will also have to function against Belgium and Egypt in the same regime of short stays, urgent departures, and limited recovery.
Sources:
- Associated Press – report on Amir Ghalenoei's statement, the Iranian national team's urgent departure from the USA, and reactions after the match with New Zealand (link)
- The Guardian – report from Los Angeles on criticism by Iran's head coach and players, visa problems, Gianni Infantino's visit to the dressing room, and the base in Tijuana (link)
- Sky Sports – report from the Iran - New Zealand match, scorers, course of the match, and the situation in Group G after the first round (link)
- FIFA Training Centre – official overview of results and reports from the 2026 World Cup, including Group G (link)
- FIFA – explanation of the competition format, advancement from the groups, and criteria for qualification to the round of 32 (link)
- Al Jazeera / AFP / Reuters – report on the Iranian national team's visa dispute ahead of travel to Mexico and the start of the World Cup (link)
- Fox Sports – schedule of Iran's matches in Group G of the 2026 World Cup (link)