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Iran manager Amir Ghalenoei said Saturday (June 20, 2026) helium has been told US question restrictions connected his World Cup squad volition yet beryllium eased for their 3rd radical game, but blasted the attraction they person received truthful acold for damaging their on-field performance.
The Iranian squad arrived astatine the World Cup with their state inactive astatine warfare with co-hosts the United States, and person been based successful Mexico portion playing each their games successful the U.S.
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That has required predominant cross-border travel, and U.S. authorities person lone permitted the squad to stay successful the state for a fewer hours aft each game, with restrictions often shifting last-minute.
After playing Belgium successful Los Angeles connected Sunday (June 21, 2026), Iran’s last radical crippled volition instrumentality spot successful Seattle adjacent Friday (June 26, 2026) against Egypt.
Ghalenoei connected Saturday (June 20, 2026) said helium had been told his squad volition person much flexibility for their last match, earlier rapidly adding that it would person been “justice” for his squad to person the aforesaid attraction for its archetypal 2 games.
“They said successful Seattle, you tin bash what you want, you tin enactment the mode you privation to, and you tin travel earlier,” helium told a property conference, without specifying who precisely the accusation had travel from.
“But what I want, my occupation is, wherefore didn’t they fto america travel earlier for the archetypal 2 games arsenic well?
“I conscionable cognize for the past game, yes, they’ve allowed america to decide, to marque our ain decisions with regards to readying the travel.
“But unfortunately, for the archetypal 2 games, others made these question arrangements for us, and the timing for us.”
Last week Iran drew 2-2 with New Zealand, the tournament’s lowest-ranked team, with sloppy defending doubly allowing the All Whites to spell up earlier Team Melli equalized.
“There were errors, idiosyncratic ones, and besides with regards to this defence we had, and I deliberation we were playing... we were doing excessively galore passes,” said Ghalenoei.
“And I think, due to the fact that we person been flying excessively much, commuting, arsenic a effect of this agelong commute, we’ve been tired.”
The manager said restrictions connected his squad had been adjacent much onerous for Sunday’s (June 21, 2026) upcoming crippled against Belgium, Group G’s highest-ranked team.
Ghalenoei said his squad had arrived successful the U.S. connected Saturday (June 20, 2026) little than 24 hours earlier kickoff, contempt being concisely told by FIFA connected Friday aboriginal day that they whitethorn beryllium capable to question that day.
“We waited till 7.00pm, thing happened, and they said, ‘Sorry, we weren’t capable to bash that,” said the coach.
“That’s going to impact america mentally, particularly maine arsenic a caput coach, due to the fact that I privation to absorption connected method stuff,” helium said.
Iran had lone been capable to bash fractional its accustomed pre-game grooming session, complained Ghalenoei.
All 4 teams successful Group G presently person 1 point, with lone the apical 2 guaranteed to scope the knockout stages. A bulk of third-placed teams crossed each groups volition besides progress, depending connected their performance.
