Iran Suffered Under Strict Restrictions at the Tournament, Concession Made Before Belgium Match

Iran has been grappling with travel restrictions throughout the tournament, issues that had prompted them to consider filing a complaint with FIFA.

"For the last match, we were allowed to set our own travel schedule. In the previous two games, these decisions were made for us by others. The restrictions made things very complicated for us," DPA news agency quoted Iran's coach.

Ghalenoei also stated that he would have appreciated more support from other participating teams: "I posed the question to the coaches of the other 47 teams, but no one responded.

I'm sure they are busy preparing their own teams. The FIFA President did everything in his power to remove obstacles. He tried to minimize our problems, and for that, I want to thank him."

His squad earned a point in their opening 2026 World Cup match, drawing 2-2 with New Zealand.