TEHRAN – Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei has accepted full responsibility for Team Melli’s disappointing 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign while insisting the squad overcame extraordinary challenges before and during the tournament.
Speaking to reporters following Iran’s return from the World Cup, Ghalenoei said the team’s greatest achievement went beyond football, claiming the tournament gave the world a clearer picture of Iran and its people.
“The most important thing was that the world saw both the resilience of the Iranian people and the strength of our country,” Ghalenoei said. “Our players stayed committed despite all the difficulties and fought for Iran. I owe them a great deal and sincerely appreciate their efforts.”
The coach outlined a series of logistical problems that disrupted Iran’s preparations. According to Ghalenoei, the team’s final training camp remained uncertain until two weeks before the tournament because it was unclear whether Iran would be based in the United States or Mexico. FIFA eventually assigned Team Melli to Tijuana, while the squad were only granted permission to enter the United States 24 hours before its opening match.
“Our original plan was to arrive much earlier,” he explained. “Instead, we entered the country just one day before our first game.”
He also highlighted the demanding travel schedule, revealing that Iran completed two flights in less than 20 hours before facing Belgium, leaving the coaching staff with just one full training session to prepare for the match.
Iran’s build-up was further affected by the cancellation of several planned friendlies. A high-profile warm-up against Spain was scrapped following the outbreak of war, while North Macedonia and Puerto Rico also declined to face Team Melli, forcing the coaching staff to repeatedly revise its plans.
Despite those setbacks, Ghalenoei stressed that neither he nor his staff attempted to use the circumstances as excuses.
“We never tried to shift responsibility or put pressure on the federation,” he said. “Whenever a plan fell through, we created an alternative. Our focus always remained on football.”
The 62-year-old also thanked Iran Football Federation president Mehdi Taj, and the federation’s executive board for their continued support throughout the campaign.
Addressing criticism over the national team’s aging squad, Ghalenoei rejected claims that Iran had failed to rejuvenate the team. Instead, he argued that international football requires “generational transition” rather than wholesale youth development.
“Over the past two to three years we have called up nearly 38 players, and eight or nine footballers experienced the World Cup for the first time,” he said. “That shows the transition has already begun.”
Looking ahead to the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, Ghalenoei acknowledged the expectations surrounding the national team and reaffirmed his ambition to deliver continental success.
“Football is unpredictable—that’s what makes it beautiful,” he said. “We know where we need to improve, and our goal is to fix those weaknesses and build a stronger team capable of competing for the Asian title.”
Ghalenoei concluded by saying football’s unpredictability is what makes the sport unique.
“Who expected a team like France, with all of their stars, to produce disappointing results? That’s football—anything can happen. We know where our weaknesses are, and ahead of the AFC Asian Cup we will work to correct them so we can arrive at the tournament with a stronger team capable of challenging for the title.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: tehrantimes.com
