The Iranian Football Federation has announced plans to file a formal complaint with FIFA, alleging that its national team is facing travel restrictions during the ongoing FIFA World Cup in North America.
The federation said it had requested permission for the team to travel from its base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, to Los Angeles two days before its Group Stage match against Belgium scheduled for Sunday, but the request was denied by tournament organisers. In the statement, a spokesperson for the federation said Iran had submitted its tournament preparation schedule well in advance but continued to face limitations affecting the team’s plans.
“Despite having submitted its preparation schedule for the tournament well in advance, Iran’s national football team has once again encountered restrictions imposed by the organisers, affecting the implementation of its technical staff’s plans,” the spokesperson said.
According to the federation, the request was aimed at allowing players sufficient time to acclimatise to local conditions, complete final training sessions and conclude preparations ahead of the match, which is scheduled to kick off at noon local time in Los Angeles. “Despite the technical reasons presented by the federation, the request was once again denied,” the statement added.
The federation said it would formally express its dissatisfaction and submit an official complaint to FIFA through the appropriate channels. Iranian officials were also reportedly unhappy after being required to leave Los Angeles immediately following their opening World Cup match, a 2-2 draw against New Zealand.
The United States administration has rejected suggestions that the restrictions were imposed without notice. Speaking earlier this week, Andrew Giuliani, Executive Director of the White House FIFA Task Force, said Iran had been informed in advance that its delegation would only be permitted to enter the United States one day before each match.
“The team will be allowed to come in, match day minus one, so the day before the match,” Giuliani told CBS News. “They’ll be asked to leave the day that the match wraps up, so the evening of the match. And they’ll be able to do that again in Los Angeles.”
He added that the same arrangement would apply for Iran’s final group-stage fixture against Egypt in Seattle on June 26. Iran’s participation in the tournament has been affected by wider geopolitical tensions following the recent conflict in the Middle East. Shortly before the tournament began, the team moved its training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, located on the US-Mexico border.
The federation has also claimed that up to 15 members of its delegation were denied visas to enter the United States, further complicating preparations for the tournament. Despite the challenges, Iran remains in contention in Group A and is preparing for its crucial encounter against Belgium as it seeks qualification for the knockout stages.
