Iran urges FIFA to stand up to ‘extremely bad’ treatment of World Cup by US | World Cup 2026 news

Iran, who played their three group games at the 2026 World Cup, are now waiting to find out if they will reach the last 32.

Emotions were still running high for the Iranian players and their coach long after the team’s final whistle. 1-1 draw against Egypt in their group match at Seattle Stadium on Friday night.

Looking to exit the group stage for the first time in their World Cup history, Iran were left to await the results of Saturday’s match after finishing third in Group G.

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It seems that “The Melli” solidified their place in the round of 32 with a stoppage goal, only for VAR to reject Shojae Khalilzadeh’s goal for a call.

It continued the problems of the World Cup in Iran, who moved their training center from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico because of the ongoing war in the Middle East. They will also face the challenges of traveling to the United States for their three games.

Iran are in danger of taking eight places in the group of 32, but coach Amir Ghalenoei said his team had been treated “unfairly” as he urged FIFA president Gianni Infantino to “stand up” to the United States.

“He was a host who was not good for us,” Ghalenoei said after Friday’s game. “I urge FIFA not to allow the players to treat teams and players alike in the future. I hope Infantino will fight against this.”

Friday’s game took place against the backdrop of Seattle’s annual PrideFest, the city’s organizing committee announced anonymously on June 26 that the “Pride Match” before December was against Egypt and Iran.

While no official Pride events were seen at the FIFA event or inside the stadium, several rainbow flags were seen mingling among the crowd.

Outside the stadium, hundreds of supporters of Reza Pahlavi, a prominent opponent of the Islamic Republic, took to the streets to rally. It made for a well-packed – even peaceful – atmosphere in the two hours leading up to the tough game.

When the match started, Iran fell quickly after a fifth minute goal by Egypt. However, Iran equalized nine minutes later. The win remained tied during the second hydration break, after which Iran made a ferocious bid to secure victory.

They looked to have it when Khalilzadeh found the back of the net following a drive in front of the Egyptian goal. Then the message “VAR Challenge” appeared on the board, and a few minutes later, the goal was disallowed.

Iran would continue to press, sending another shot past the final whistle.

After the match, team captain Mehdi Taremi called it “a World Cup of misfortune”. Not because of how Iran has performed, but because of how they believe the team has been handled.

Taremi also said that some of the Iranian staff do not have visas to travel with the team, and also pointed to the lack of Iranian media coverage of new matches and meetings. And it is true that, although members of the Egyptian media were very supportive in the press box throughout the game, there was no presence of the Iranian media.

After being denied an overnight stay in the United States for the third game in a row, Iran had to land in Tijuana early Saturday morning. It is the latest incident that Ghalenoei said has “robbed” his team of the opportunity to train properly and recover mentally and physically from the rigors of the World Cup.

“To my players and the team, I want to tell them that I am proud of them,” Ghalenoei said. “What these young people, these players have done, should be written in history because the country we lived in treated us unfairly.

“Their behavior towards us has been very bad, and we hope the whole world will know that. Despite all these problems, we have been doing well, and the world is proud of the Iranian people and our society.

As they did after their second game in Los Angeles, Iran left a handwritten note in their dressing room. He thanked Seattle for their hospitality, thanked the Iranians for “their hearts, their voices,” and said soccer is “a test of humanity.”

Then it was off to the airport for the return trip to Tijuana.