Iran Coach Calls on Infantino to Confront US Over World Cup Treatment
Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei has publicly urged Fifa president Gianni Infantino to challenge the behaviour of the United States co-hosts, accusing them of treating his squad with persistent unfairness throughout the 2026 World Cup.
Reporting from The Guardian, Ghalenoei made his strongest comments yet following Iran’s 1-1 draw with Egypt in Seattle — a result that left Group G qualification in the balance. A stoppage-time winner from Shoja Khalilzadeh was ruled offside, and Saeid Ezatolah struck the bar late on, adding to the sense of injustice in the Iran camp.
“I urge Fifa to not let the hosts treat teams and players the same way in the future,” Ghalenoei said at his post-match press conference. “I hope Mr Infantino will actually stand up to such behaviour.”
The coach acknowledged that Infantino had visited Iran’s dressing room after their Group G opener against New Zealand and expressed personal support, but argued the Fifa president’s goodwill had produced little tangible improvement. Ghalenoei claimed Iran were denied permission to arrive two weeks before the tournament, were refused an early arrival before each match, and were repeatedly required to return to their Tijuana base — a three-hour journey — rather than staying in host cities overnight. “This is the third time they are doing this to us,” he said.
Captain Mehdi Taremi was equally direct, pointing to the 11 senior Iran officials still unable to enter the country due to visa denials. “Since the beginning, it’s a disaster World Cup,” the Olympiakos forward said, questioning why Fifa had been unable to resolve the situation before the group stage concluded.
Iran could reach the knockout rounds for the first time in their history if results in Group G fall their way in the next 24 hours. Keep an eye on our World Cup 2026 hub and live standings as the picture becomes clearer.
Elsewhere in the group stage, Egypt coach Hossam Hassan moved to calm nerves over Mohamed Salah, who asked to be replaced before the hour mark against Iran. “I talked to Salah and he said he’s going to be OK and it’s not a big injury,” Hassan said, adding that the former Liverpool winger expected to be available for Egypt’s last-32 meeting with Australia in Dallas on Friday.
For UK fans with an interest in the broader tournament picture, both the Salah fitness update and Iran’s qualification outcome are worth monitoring closely as the group stage reaches its conclusion.