Iran Captain Mehdi Taremi Rips FIFA Over 'Disaster World Cup' As Frustrations Spill Over
Iran Captain Mehdi Taremi Rips FIFA Over 'Disaster World Cup' As Frustrations Spill Over Published By, Last Updated: June 28, 2026, 12:11 IST Heartbreak turned
Iran Captain Mehdi Taremi Rips FIFA Over 'Disaster World Cup' As Frustrations Spill Over Published By, Last Updated: June 28, 2026, 12:11 IST Heartbreak turned into anger as Iran captain Mehdi Taremi branded the World Cup a "disaster", accusing FIFA of failing to resolve visa and travel issues after Team Melli's exit. Rapid Read (Credit: AP) Iran’s World Cup campaign ended in tears on the pitch and frustration off it. Moments after Team Melli’s dramatic draw against Egypt from the FIFA World Cup 2026, captain Mehdi Taremi launched a scathing attack on FIFA and president Gianni Infantino, branding the tournament a “disaster" and accusing football’s governing body of failing to address the logistical and visa issues that plagued Iran throughout the competition. Head coach Amir Ghalenoei echoed those frustrations, urging FIFA to ensure future hosts treat every nation fairly after claiming Iran had been put at a significant disadvantage. ‘It’s A Disaster World Cup’ Iran’s run came to a cruel end after a 1-1 draw against Egypt left them relying on results elsewhere before ultimately missing out on the knockout stages. But for Taremi, the disappointment stretched far beyond the football. Throughout the tournament, Iran were forced to cope with repeated travel between their base in Tijuana, Mexico, and matches in the United States.
The situation was made worse by visa issues that prevented 11 members of the team’s support staff, including logistics and recovery personnel, from joining the squad. Speaking after the match, Taremi said FIFA had failed to deliver on promises made earlier in the tournament. “It’s a disaster World Cup; a disaster," Taremi said. “I mean, FIFA, they have to solve every problem here but unfortunately they could not solve it since the beginning. Mr Infantino came to our changing room after the first game against New Zealand and said, ‘It’s just the beginning’." The striker questioned why Iran continued to face challenges that other teams did not. “We don’t have our logistic people here, they don’t have a visa. How is it possible we always have to travel from Tijuana? We love the people in Tijuana. We love Mexico. They are humble people and we love them but as professional players in a professional competition, it’s not right." “It’s not fair. Our opinion is, it’s not fair. Is it fair for FIFA? OK, good to them. But it’s not fair. Who wants to help us? We don’t have recovery or logistic people to help us.
We always complain about these things but no one helps." Ghalenoei Urges FIFA To ‘Stand Up’ To Hosts Head coach Amir Ghalenoei backed his captain’s concerns, insisting the tournament hosts had made life unnecessarily difficult for Iran. The coach revealed that the team had been forced to relocate their training base from Arizona to Mexico before the tournament because of the ongoing conflict involving Iran, leaving the squad with extensive travel demands that affected preparation and recovery. While acknowledging Infantino’s efforts, Ghalenoei said FIFA needed to do more. “I know Mr Infantino has tried his best to minimise the problems as much as possible, but it was the host that wasn’t very good to us," Ghalenoei said. “I urge FIFA to not let the hosts treat teams and players the same way in the future. I hope Mr Infantino will actually stand up to such behaviour." The Iran boss also claimed his squad had been denied adequate preparation time before matches. “Their behaviour towards us has been really terrible and we hope the world will be aware of that. They didn’t let us come two weeks earlier and two days earlier before every game.
The BriefWire