The tragedy of the Iran national team being kicked out after playing only matches, staying in Mexico and traveling to the U.S. only for games → The coach also erupted in anger.

*This content was translated by AI.

The Iran national football team, competing in the 2026 North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup, was reduced to the status of "playing only and then being kicked out" the moment they set foot on U.S. soil. This farce occurred because, due to the aftermath of the war between the U.S. and Iran, the team was denied permission to stay in the U.S. immediately after the match and was forcibly returned to their base camp in Mexico.

According to multiple foreign news outlets, including Reuters, reporting on the 17th (Korea time), Amir Ghalenoei (62), the Iran national team coach, revealed that immediately after the Group Stage match 1 against New Zealand (2-2 draw) held on the 16th in Inglewood, California, the team was forced to return to their training base in Tijuana, Mexico, without being able to rest for even a single night in the U.S.

Coach Ghalenoei said, "The original plan was to rest here after the match and return the following afternoon, but permission was not granted," adding, "We have no idea why. Our team is probably the most suppressed team in this World Cup," showing an agitated reaction.

This tragedy stems from the war between the U.S. and Iran that broke out in February. Due to diplomatic security threats, the Iran national team had to move its World Cup base camp from the scheduled location in Arizona, U.S., to Tijuana, Mexico, just across the border, just before the tournament. As a result, Iran has to endure a harsh schedule where they stay in Mexico for all three group stage matches and cross into the U.S. only immediately before each game. Iran played against Belgium in Inglewood on the 22nd and will face Egypt in Seattle on the 27th.

Especially, despite a dramatic shift in atmosphere detected after the U.S. and Iran agreed on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to end the war on the 15th, the day before the match, it appears that the strict controls applied at the sports venue have not been lifted.

The fatigue and psychological pressure felt by the Iranian squad have reached their peak. Mehdi Taremi (34, Olympiacos), Iran's star striker, said, "As soon as we crossed the U.S. border from Tijuana, we had to go through the hotel and immediately inspect the pitch at the stadium. It takes at least two days to adjust to the time difference and condition, but this situation is truly terrible. We just want to play football peacefully," he pleaded.

In addition, due to visa restrictions, some key coaching staff and national team officials were even denied entry into the U.S., compounding the problem of overload caused by a shortage of staff on the bench. Coach Ghalenoei encouraged the players, saying, "It is a miracle that the players showed perseverance and secured a draw even in such chaos."

Meanwhile, Reuters also requested explanations from the U.S. State Department and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to identify the entity that issued the forced return and stay denial, but both sides have remained silent so far.

Even on the World Cup stage, the world's biggest football festival, the Iran national team has become a victim of political and diplomatic conflicts. It remains to be seen how they will navigate the remaining group stage matches under the worst conditions of "time-bound commuting matches" shuttling between Mexico and the U.S.

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*This content was translated by AI.