Live Feeds
● LIVE Updated 5d ago · 25 sources tracked

Iran World Cup team coach says it was ordered out of U.S. right after first match

Iran’s national team was instructed to leave the U.S. immediately after its first World Cup match against New Zealand, ending plans for recovery time in Los Angeles. The squad remains in Tijuana, Mexico, despite playing all group games in the U.S. Coach Amir Ghalenoei has called Iran the 'most oppressed' team at the tournament, citing travel restrictions. The move follows protests by Iranian Americans and FIFA’s ban on pre-revolutionary flags.

RSS Source map (24)

What changed

New confirmation from coach Amir Ghalenoei that the team was ordered to leave the U.S. immediately after the opener, clarifying the abrupt change in plans.

Live updates

  1. Iran World Cup team ordered out of U.S. after opener, coach confirms

    Iran’s national team was instructed to leave the U.S. immediately after its first World Cup match against New Zealand, ending plans for recovery time in Los Angeles. The squad remains in Tijuana, Mexico, despite playing all group games in the U.S. Coach Amir Ghalenoei has called Iran the 'most oppressed' team at the tournament, citing travel restrictions. The move follows protests by Iranian Americans and FIFA’s ban on pre-revolutionary flags.

    What's confirmed:

    • Iran’s World Cup team was ordered to leave the U.S. immediately after its first match against New Zealand in Los Angeles, cutting short planned recovery time.
    • The team’s base remains in Tijuana, Mexico, despite playing all group games in the U.S.
    • Coach Amir Ghalenoei has stated that Iran is the 'most oppressed' team at the tournament due to travel restrictions.
    confidence 100%

  2. Iran coach confirms team ordered out of U.S. after World Cup opener

    Iran’s World Cup team coach says the squad was directed to leave the U.S. and return to Mexico just hours after its 2-2 draw with New Zealand in Los Angeles. The move follows protests by Iranian Americans and FIFA’s ban on pre-revolutionary flags. The team’s base remains in Tijuana, Mexico, despite playing all group games in the U.S. The coach calls Iran the 'most oppressed' team at the tournament amid travel restrictions.

    What's confirmed:

    • Iran’s World Cup team coach stated the squad was ordered to leave the U.S. and return to Mexico only hours after its politically charged 2-2 draw with New Zealand in Los Angeles.
    • The team’s training base for the World Cup remains in Tijuana, Mexico, despite all its group games being played in the U.S.
    • Protests by Iranian Americans took place outside the match in Los Angeles, with some displaying pre-revolutionary flags and booing the Iranian anthem.
    • FIFA upheld its ban on pre-revolutionary Iranian flags during the tournament after an emergency hearing.
    • The Iranian coach described his team as the 'most oppressed' at the World Cup amid travel restrictions and political pressure.

    Still unconfirmed:

    • Iranian Americans are divided between protesting the government and cheering the team during the World Cup.
    • The team’s departure from the U.S. was due to 'repression' or political pressure, though specifics remain unclear.
    confidence 95%