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Iran's head coach Amir Ghalenoei said his team will have more flexibility before their last 2026 FIFA World Cup group match. He also said that earlier travel restrictions during the tournament have hurt their performance on the field.
At a press conference on Saturday, Ghalenoei said he was told the team would have more control over their travel plans for Friday's match in Seattle against Egypt. He did not say who gave him this information.
The coach said this new arrangement was very different from what his team faced in their first two games. He wondered why they did not have this flexibility from the start.
'They said in Seattle, you can do what you want, you can act the way you want to, and you can come earlier,' Ghalenoei said. 'But what I want, my problem is, why didn't they let us come earlier for the first two games as well?'
He added that for the first two matches, others decided the team's travel plans and timing, so the squad had no control over its own schedule.
Iran's situation at the tournament is complicated by the ongoing tensions between the country and the United States, which is co-hosting. The team has stayed in Mexico during the group stage and crossed the border for every match in the U.S.
US officials have only allowed the team to stay in the country for a few hours after each game, and these rules have reportedly changed with little warning several times.
The problem was especially clear before Sunday's group game against Belgium in Los Angeles. Ghalenoei said the team got to the US on Saturday, less than a day before the match, even though FIFA had suggested on Friday afternoon that they might be able to travel earlier.
'We waited till 7.00 p.m., nothing happened, and they said, "Sorry, we weren't able to do that,'" Ghalenoei said.
He said the uncertainty was mentally exhausting, especially for him as head coach, since preparing for matches requires a lot of tactical focus. He also said the team only had half of their usual pre-game training session.
Iran's first match at the tournament was a 2-2 draw with New Zealand, the lowest-ranked team in their group. Iran gave up two goals due to defensive mistakes, allowing the All Whites to take the lead both times before catching up.
Ghalenoei said that part of the team's shaky performance was due to tiredness from all the travel.
'Because we have been flying too much, commuting, as a result of this long commute, we've been tired,' he said.
He also mentioned tactical problems in the New Zealand match, saying the team relied too heavily on short passes under pressure.
Iran will play their last group stage match against Egypt in Seattle. Before that, Ghalenoei's team faces Belgium on Sunday in Los Angeles, which is the highest-ranked team in Group G.
Right now, all four teams in Group G have one point each. The top two teams will move on to the knockout rounds. Most third-place teams from all groups will also advance, depending on the results.
Whether Iran moves forward may depend not just on their results but also on whether the relaxed travel rules before the Seattle game help them prepare and play better.
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