Inside Iran's 2026 World Cup: Visa Denials, 40-Hour Bus Rides, and a Goalkeeping Masterclass

Only allowed in the US 24 hours before matches. Iran was permitted to enter the United States only one day before each match and had to leave immediately afterward, preventing proper recovery sessions and forcing the team to commute back to Mexico repeatedly . Ahead of their second group-stage match, Iran had less than 16 hours on the ground in Los Angeles before kickoff .

War-related disruptions. Iran's buildup was also affected by war-related disruptions before the tournament began . Ghalenoei said, "Six months ago, we were in a state of war and our league was closed. We were on the road for 40 hours to go to another country and play" .

FIFA complaint. The Iranian football federation lodged a formal complaint to FIFA over what it called unfair travel and visa restrictions that "significantly disrupted" preparations . The US refused to ease the restrictions, with White House tournament director Andrew Giuliani stating the current arrangements would remain unchanged .

Coach Amir Ghalenoei's Comments

Amir Ghalenoei was sharply critical of the conditions throughout the tournament:

• He called it the "worst possible conditions" and said the team had spent "40 hours on the road" due to travel disruptions .
• Before the Belgium match, he said conditions had become "even harder" than before Iran's opener against New Zealand .
• He blasted the lack of preparation time, stating that visa complications, travel disruptions, and limited preparation had all hampered the team's buildup .
• After the back-to-back draws, Ghalenoei praised his team's "great achievement" in securing points despite the restrictions, and said he had been told the travel restrictions would be eased for the final group match .
• He declared that his team was the "most oppressed" at the World Cup .
• In a post-match press conference, he said, "I think that we came to World Cup in the worst condition possible. This is something that I wanted all the world to know. We've had two games without losing in the World Cup" .

Winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh's Comments

The search results did not yield direct verbatim quotes from Alireza Jahanbakhsh about the difficult conditions from the news sources retrieved. However, upon arrival in Mexico, Jahanbakhsh said the team's condition was "positive" after a good training camp, adding, "We are surely doing all we can to prepare for the first game against New Zealand" . Captain Mehdi Taremi publicly stated that the team faced a difficult buildup because of war-related disruptions, visa issues, and travel complications .

Match 1: Iran 2-2 New Zealand (June 15)

Iran's opener was a thrilling, end-to-end draw at SoFi Stadium :

• New Zealand's Elijah Just scored a brace (7', 54') to give the All Whites the lead twice .
• Iran fought back both times: Ramin Rezaeian equalized in the 32nd minute, then set up Mohammad Mohebbi's headed goal in the 64th minute to make it 2-2 .
• The draw left all four Group G teams on one point each after the opening round .

Match 2: Belgium 0-0 Iran (June 21)

Iran held 10-man Belgium to a scoreless draw in Los Angeles in front of 70,317 fans at SoFi Stadium :

• Alireza Beiranvand's masterclass. Iran's goalkeeper made seven saves in a superb display . The Guardian described his save just before the hour mark — denying Belgium an opening goal — as "astonishing" and a moment Iran will "treasure, particularly if they advance to the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time" .
• Belgium reduced to 10 men. Belgian defender Nathan Ngoy was sent off with a straight red card in the 66th minute after a mistimed challenge .
• Iran couldn't capitalize. Despite the man advantage, Iran was unable to find a winner, and a Mehdi Taremi goal was disallowed for offside .
• Group G standings after Matchday 2: Egypt leads with 4 points, followed by Iran and Belgium on 2 points each, and New Zealand on 1 point .

The Must-Win Match Against Egypt — and the Historic Stakes

Iran's final Group G match is against group leaders Egypt. A win would put Iran on 5 points, giving them a clear path to the knockout stage — something Iran has never achieved in its World Cup history . The Guardian noted that Beiranvand's save "is one that Iran will treasure, particularly if they advance to the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time" . Ghalenoei said he was told US travel restrictions would be eased for this final group game, which could give Iran a more normal preparation .