The Iranian team expects football’s governing body to address “unequal treatment” by the host nation, its manager says
The Iranian national team has formally complained to FIFA about what its manager has described as systemic discrimination by the US, one of the hosts of the 2026 World Cup. Tehran expects football’s governing body to act and ensure that the host nation honors its obligations to all participating teams, Mahdi Mohammadnabi said.
The tournament is being co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico, with most matches taking place in the US. Iran’s head coach, Amir Ghalenoei, has previously called his side “the most oppressed” team at the World Cup, while captain Mehdi Taremi described the situation facing the squad as a “disaster.”
Speaking to Iran’s IRIB broadcaster ahead of Iran’s game with Belgium, Mohammadnabi said that the conditions imposed on Iranian players were “in no way equal to those of other teams.”
He cited travel restrictions that force Iran’s squad to arrive at match venues only one day before games, while other teams are able to arrive two days in advance. The reduced preparation time leaves players with less opportunity to adapt to local conditions and train properly, potentially affecting performance, he argued.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: rt.com
