Amir Ghalinoi: “Get on the plane and leave”: Iran’s coach explodes after a surprising order after the FIFA World Cup match against New Zealand | Football news
Iran opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a thrilling 2-2 draw with New Zealand at Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles, but the team’s attention quickly turned away from the football after the final whistle.Iran’s coach Amir Ghalinoi expressed his frustration after the match, revealing that the team had been instructed to leave the United States immediately and return to their training base in Tijuana, Mexico.According to Galenois, the team expected to stay overnight in California to help with recovery before returning the next day. Instead, they were informed after the match that they would have to leave immediately.“They didn’t even give us enough time to recover,” Galinois said through a translator. “After the match they told us that we had to leave immediately. Recovering is very important after the match, but we were asked to get on the plane and go back to our camp in Tijuana. We are really upset about that.”The Iranian coach admitted that he was not sure why the travel plans changed.He added: “To be honest, we don’t know why we were sent back. It feels very strange. It seems like decisions are being made for us elsewhere. We were supposed to arrive two days before the match and stay all night after that before returning the next day. We have no idea why that changed.”Jalinoi also noted that his team faced major challenges during its preparations for the World Cup.“I think our team is perhaps the most unfairly treated team in the World Cup,” Galinois concluded.
Captain Mehdi Taremi expressed his concern
Iran’s national team captain, Mehdi Taremi, echoed these concerns, highlighting that several members of the delegation, including officials from the Iranian Football Federation, support staff and media personnel, were unable to travel after being denied visas.“We have to leave Los Angeles now, and it’s not good for us,” Taremi said. He concluded: “I think FIFA should help us more than this… Everything looks like a disaster, in fact, for us.”
Iran draws in World Cup opener against New Zealand
New Zealand took the lead twice through Elijah Gast, who scored in the seventh and 54th minutes, both set up by skipper Chris Wood. Iran responded on every occasion, with Ramin Rezaian equalizing in the first half before Mohamed Mohebi scored a second equalizer after the break.Despite the opportunities that both teams had in the final minutes, neither team was able to achieve victory, as they scored one point in the opening match of Group Seven.Iranian logistical issues are expected to continue. Their next Group G match is also scheduled to be played at SoFi Stadium against Belgium on Sunday, meaning the team will return to the United States again later this week before returning to Los Angeles on match day.
