Iran's World Cup captain, Mehdi Taremi, has leveled a strong criticism against FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, alleging that the organization has failed to address significant challenges faced by the team during the tournament. Taremi suggested that World Cup organizers may even prefer Iran to be eliminated from the competition.
Iran's progress to the knockout stages for the first time is uncertain following a dramatic 1-1 draw against Egypt, which saw a late winning goal disallowed. The team's campaign has been marked by travel and visa complications, as well as ongoing disputes between Iranian officials and U.S. authorities.
Taremi described the World Cup as a "disaster," echoing sentiments he expressed after Iran's opening match. "As professional players in a professional competition, it's not right... it's not fair," Taremi stated. "Who wants to help us... no one helps. No one."
He further detailed an encounter with FIFA president Gianni Infantino after the first game against New Zealand. "Infantino came to [our locker room] the first game [against New Zealand] and said we will solve every problem here, but actually FIFA did nothing," Taremi said.
Iran's head coach, Amir Ghalenoei, also commented on the situation, stating that the U.S. has exhibited "terrible" behavior towards the team. He expressed hope that the international community would recognize these issues. The team experienced visa denials for about a dozen members of its delegation to enter the United States following geopolitical tensions, and consequently had to relocate its training base to Mexico.
When asked if World Cup organizers, including FIFA and U.S. authorities, might prefer Iran's exit, Taremi responded, "We have to fight against everything here. I don't know if people want [that] or not but as we see it by our perspective, yeah, they are like that I think."
Iran believed they had secured a place in the round of 32 when Shoja Khalilzadeh scored in stoppage time against Egypt. However, a lengthy VAR review determined the goal to be offside, and a subsequent header from Saeid Ezatolahi struck the crossbar moments later.
The 1-1 draw means Belgium and Egypt have qualified automatically from Group G. Iran's chances of advancing as one of the top eight third-place teams now depend on the outcomes of other matches.
Despite the uncertainty, Taremi expressed continued hope, though he noted the team's need to travel back to Tijuana after the game. "We always do our best. We play for our people. We want them to be happy because we want to bring the joy," he said. "We want to send a message of peace for the people in Iran, outside of Iran, for FIFA, for everyone. But there is no peace about the others to us."
Following their draw against Belgium, the Iranian players left a note in their locker room, which read in part: "We come from IRAN … from a land that, for thousands of years, has placed honour about victory. For us, football is not only a competition for results, it is a test of character. Perhaps points can be won in many ways, but respect cannot. Fair play is not just a line in football's rules. It is the soul of the game."