Iranian football team files complaint to FIFA over US restrictions
The United States is standing by its travel restrictions on Iran’s World Cup team, with the White House official overseeing the tournament defending the measures as the Iranian soccer federation pushes ahead with a formal complaint to FIFA.Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, told Reuters on Saturday that the current plan remains in place despite Iran’s objections. The team is only allowed to travel to match venues within 24 hours of kickoff and must return to their training base in Tijuana, Mexico immediately after each game.Iran’s soccer federation announced Thursday it would lodge a complaint with FIFA after its request to travel to Los Angeles two days before Sunday’s match against Belgium was denied. The team has faced logistical hurdles throughout the tournament, with captain Mehdi Taremi saying a typical short charter flight from Tijuana to Los Angeles took five hours, including security and immigration checks.Giuliani said the team’s training base was moved from Tucson, Arizona to Tijuana before the tournament, which actually reduced their travel time to Los Angeles. He also noted that all players and coaches had received visas, but some team officials had been denied due to what he called “derogatory information.” The official emphasized that security concerns remain a priority, though no specific threats have been identified.
‘Most oppressed team’
Coach Amir Ghalenoei has been sharply critical, describing his side as “the most oppressed team in the whole World Cup.” He said the latest schedule gave his team less than 16 hours to prepare for the Belgium match, forcing them to halve their usual training time.”We only managed to train half the time we usually spend on training,” he told reporters.Giuliani noted that the restrictions align with FIFA’s regulations, which state teams should travel to match venues one day before and return after games. Some team officials and support staff remain unable to secure US visas.Iran will play their final group match against Egypt in Seattle on June 26. Discussions about travel arrangements for that game will take place after Sunday’s match against Belgium.
