TIJUANA, MEXICO (MNN); Iran’s football federation has announced plans to lodge a formal complaint with FIFA, alleging that travel restrictions imposed during the 2026 FIFA World Cup are disrupting the national team’s preparations in North America.
According to the federation’s spokesperson, Iran had submitted its tournament preparation plans well in advance but continues to face restrictions that are affecting the coaching staff’s ability to implement their strategy.
The issue centres on Iran’s request to travel from its base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, to Los Angeles two days before its Group G match against Belgium scheduled for Sunday. Iranian officials said the request was intended to allow players adequate time to adjust to local conditions, conduct final training sessions and complete match preparations.
However, the federation claims that despite presenting technical and logistical reasons, the request was rejected by tournament authorities.
The dispute follows Iran’s opening World Cup match against New Zealand on Monday, which ended in a 2-2 draw. After the game in Los Angeles, the Iranian delegation was required to leave the United States within hours and return to its base in Mexico.
Iranian officials argue that the arrangement deprived players of sufficient recovery time after the match and complicated the team’s overall preparations for the tournament.
US authorities, however, maintain that the travel conditions were communicated well in advance. Andrew Giuliani, Executive Director of the White House FIFA Task Force, said Iran had been informed that its team would only be permitted to enter the United States one day before each match and would be required to depart on the evening of the game.
He added that the same procedure would apply to Iran’s final group-stage match against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
Iran, competing in Group G, began its World Cup campaign after months of uncertainty surrounding its participation amid regional tensions and the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
