Iran football coach Amir Ghalenoei called out the other 47 managers in the 2026 World Cup over their silence about the troubles his team is dealing with during their stay in the US as the tournament continues. He noted that other coaches have been focused on their own teams and have not engaged with his concerns.
One of the biggest challenges the Iranian football team has dealt with is the travel restrictions imposed by the United States, as they can only travel to the match venue within 24 hours of their fixture. The team’s training base is in Tijuana, Mexico.
‘I asked the 47 coaches a question, none responded’
Speaking to The Telegraph, coach Ghalenoei expressed frustration with the lack of support and communication from fellow World Cup coaches and the tournament organisers and said that no one responded to his grievances regarding the restrictions his team is facing.
"We have many challenges, especially off the pitch. I asked the 47 other coaches a question, and none of them have responded to me. Our grievances are to do with the way they [World Cup organisers] have behaved towards us. I’ve not heard from other coaches; they are busy with their own teams, and we did not receive anything. I would have done [it]," the Iran coach said.
Iran to face Belgium next in World Cup group-stage
Iran started their 2026 World Cup group-stage campaign against New Zealand with a 2-2 stalemate and had to immediately leave Los Angeles after the match ended. The situation affected their training time, with the unusual travel adding a chip on their shoulders as they continue to perform in the 2026 World Cup.
Notably, Ghalenoei revealed that FIFA had tried to convince US authorities to allow the team to enter the country earlier for their upcoming fixture, but it was denied.
"They said, ‘Sorry, we weren’t able to do that’. That’s going to affect us mentally, especially because as a head coach, I want to focus on technical things," Ghaleonei added.
Iran is set to face Belgium in a group-stage fixture at the 2026 World Cup on Monday, 12:30 PM IST, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
