Why Iranian players are struggling 'physically and mentally' at World Cup

In the World Cup, teams commonly travel from base camp to their venues a day in advance. But in this 2026 tournament, Iran's case is different.

Team Melli – the name used for Iran's national team – had not been granted permission to stay overnight in the United States after their matches in the United States.

However, the travel restriction has put a strain on players and staff, said Iran's secretary-general, Hedayat Mombeini.

"We are the only team participating in the World Cup that is at the host cities for just 24 hours, and it is not fair."

The Iranian squad has been throughout the tournament is training in Tijuana, Mexico.

But when they entered the United States, Mombeini said they faced repeated border checks and tedious immigration procedures.

"All these limitations on us have negative effects on our players physically and mentally."

Iran's captain, Mehdi Taremi, has given insight into the ordeal.

The journey from Tijuana to Los Angeles is generally short. 

But for the New Zealand match, Iran's team had to suffer a five-hour ordeal due to travel restrictions.

Although the team had requested permission to stay overnight in California following the match to recover, the request was denied.

Again, a second request was made ahead of Iran's face-off against Belgium on Sunday for arriving two day before the match. 

It was denied.

Now, the Iranian federation is planning to lodge an official complaint with FIFA.

Adding insult to injury, the U.S. has reportedly not issued visas to several members of the Iranian team's support staff.

It is worth noting that a memorandum of understanding has been signed between Iran and the U.S.