Iran drew 1-1 with Egypt in Seattle on Friday, finishing third in Group G of the 2026 World Cup. While the team has a strong chance of advancing as one of the eight best third-placed sides, morale has been severely affected by off-field problems.
Head coach Amir Ghalenoei openly criticised the treatment by the United States, the host nation. 'The host country did not treat us well. I call on FIFA not to allow host nations to treat teams and players like this in the future. I hope Mr. Infantino will truly stand up against such behaviour,' he said after the match.
Iran moved its training base from Tucson, Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico due to the ongoing war in the Middle East. The team also faced logistical difficulties crossing the U.S. border for its three group-stage matches.
Captain Mehdi Taremi called it a 'disaster World Cup', but not because of performance — rather the treatment the team endured. Some logistics staff lacked visas to travel with the team, and Iranian media were largely absent from matches and press conferences.
For the third consecutive time, Iran was not allowed to stay overnight in the U.S., forcing the team to fly back to Tijuana early Saturday morning. Ghalenoei said this 'robbed the team of the opportunity' to train and recover properly between intense matches.
On the pitch, Iran played an emotional match against Egypt. They fell behind in the fifth minute but equalised nine minutes later. In stoppage time, Shojae Khalilzadeh thought he had scored the winner, but VAR disallowed it for a tight offside.
Despite the disappointment, Iran left a handwritten note in the Seattle locker room thanking the city's hospitality, thanking Iranians for 'their hearts and voices', and stressing that football is 'a test of character'. The team then flew back to Tijuana to await results from the final round of group matches.
