Iran ordered to leave USA immediately after New Zealand draw

Following their World Cup opener, a 2-2 draw against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on Tuesday morning, reports indicate that Iran were ordered to leave the United States immediately after the match.

Despite FIFA president Gianni Infantino visiting their locker room after the game, ESPN journalist Jason Le Miere reported that Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei described his team as perhaps “the most oppressed team in the whole World Cup.”

Ghalenoei said Iran were instructed to leave Los Angeles and return to their training base in Tijuana, Mexico, shortly after the match.

“We spent so much time in the air commuting that they didn’t even give us time to recover. After the game today, they told us, ‘You have to leave immediately,’” he said through an interpreter.

“It’s very important for us to have time to recover, but we’ve been told to return to our camp in Tijuana, and we are really troubled by that.”

He added: “I think perhaps our team is the most oppressed team in the whole World Cup.”

The coach also complained that the team’s travel plans had been changed at the last minute, forcing them to return to their Mexico base after previously being scheduled to travel differently for matches in the United States.

Iran’s base camp was moved to Tijuana from Arizona weeks before the tournament, despite all their group-stage matches being played in the United States. The team had been scheduled to fly into the U.S. two days before each match and leave the following day.

However, Iran arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday and later said their travel arrangements were again altered after Monday’s match.

Captain Mehdi Taremi also said FIFA president Gianni Infantino had visited the squad after the game.

“He wants to try to help us, but it’s about other things too. Everyone knows it,” Taremi said. “I don’t need to mention that because you know where we are.”

Taremi and Ghalenoei further expressed frustration that Iran Football Federation president Mehdi Taj and other support staff were reportedly prevented from travelling to the United States.