World Cup: We felt the tension on arrival — Iran striker
Iranian striker Mehdi Taremi has lamented the undue tension placed on his team as a result of the ongoing war between the co-host nation of the 2026 World Cup, the United States, and the Middle East country.
Officials and players of the team have been subjected to harrowing visa issues and have also been forced to shift its World Cuo base camp from Tucson, Arizona, to the Mexican border city of Tijuana due to the political standoff between the two countries.
While reacting to the situation which has been characterised by visa issues, security concerns and the increasingly fraught political climate surrounding the team’s participation, Taremi said the tension started when the team arrived camp.
“This kind of tension undermines the joy of the World Cup,” he said.
“I felt the tension from the first moment we arrived. The tension started even before we got here.”
Coach of the Iranian national team Amir Ghalenoei said that this kind of behavior has inevitably affected preparations and has impacted the spirit of football.
“Without any doubt, this kind of behaviour has impacted the spirit of football,” he said.
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“Football is supposed to bring nations and cultures together. It is about bringing joy. These conditions have affected our focus, but I have tried to make sure the players concentrate on strategy and performance.”
The comes days after the Iranian football federation protested the decision by the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) and US organizers to revoke the team’s entire group-stage ticket allocation.
Usually, participating nations at the World Cup normally receive 8% of stadium capacities for distribution, but Iran claims this has been withdrawn, leaving diaspora fans and officials stranded.
Reports say several administrative staff and federation executives were denied entry visas to the U.S. due to conflict stemming from escalating geopolitical tensions, which is now resulting in severe logistical challenges for the Iranian team.
In a statement issued last week, the Iranian FA said that depriving its supporters of access to their lawful and official allocation of tickets is an action contrary to the spirit of governing international competitions.
The statement reads: “Depriving Iranian supporters of access to their lawful and official allocation of tickets is an action contrary to the spirit of governing international competitions and the principle of equality among participating countries.”
It added that the move raises “serious questions about the interference of non-sporting and political considerations” in football’s biggest event. The federation called on FIFA to uphold neutrality, fairness, and its own rules.”
FIFA says it is working assiduously to identify compliant solutions as the Iranian team is permitted to fly into the U.S.A only on match days and must depart the country immediately after any game.
