Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei has called his team the "most oppressed" at the World Cup after US officials forced them to leave the country right after their opening match — a 2-2 draw with New Zealand in Los Angeles on Monday.
The team was originally told they could stay in the US until Tuesday to rest and recover. But without explanation, that permission was withdrawn. Now they've got to travel back to Mexico immediately, with no time to recover.
"They delayed our arrivals, (now) they're forcing us to go back early without time for recovery," Ghalenoei told journalists after the match. "They're making the situation more and more difficult, facing us with more hurdles, but we're not going to let that stop us from doing our best."
This is just the latest headache for a team that's faced logistical chaos since before the tournament even started. The US — which was in military conflict with Iran for months until a peace deal was announced on Sunday — refused to issue visas for some team support staff. Players only got their travel documents at the last minute.
The team originally planned to base their training camp in Tucson, Arizona. But they had to move it to Tijuana, Mexico at the 11th hour because of the visa and logistical problems. Technical staff have had to take on managerial duties because key personnel couldn't get into the country.
"That's why I think we're the most oppressed team in the whole World Cup," Ghalenoei said.
Star striker Mehdi Taremi didn't hold back either. He called the team's treatment a "disaster" and said the players only found out on match day that they'd have to leave the US immediately after the game.
"It's a lot of stress for the players and staffs and everyone, but we don't have that support, and I think FIFA have to help us more than this," Taremi told reporters. "Everything is like disaster, actually, for us."
Taremi said FIFA president Gianni Infantino came to the Iran dressing room to discuss the issue. "He wants to try to help us, but it's about other things too," he said.
The diplomatic tension between Tehran and Washington has hung over Iran's entire World Cup campaign. The US and Iran were in military conflict for months until a peace deal was announced on Sunday, bringing an "immediate and permanent" end to operations on all fronts. But the damage was already done to Iran's preparation.
Taremi summed up the mood: "We're just tired of this situation, because from two months ago, last month, we're having a lot of problems, you know? It's so bad, and it affects our team. We just want the peace, which is the centers of FIFA, 'peace, joy,' and those things."
The World Cup is being co-hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada. Iran's next match hasn't been announced yet, but they'll have to play it from a base in Mexico — if they can get the support they need.