Iran To File FIFA Complaint Over World Cup Travel Restrictions

Iran's football federation says it will lodge a complaint with FIFA over what it describes as travel restrictions affecting the national team's preparations during the 2026 World Cup in North America.

According to AFP, the federation said its plans have repeatedly been disrupted despite submitting its tournament schedule well ahead of time.

An Iranian football federation spokesperson said the restrictions were affecting the work of the coaching staff.

"Despite having submitted its preparation schedule for the tournament well in advance, Iran's national football team has once again encountered restrictions imposed by the organisers, affecting the implementation of its technical staff's plans," the spokesperson said.

Iran had requested permission for the team to travel from its base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, to Los Angeles two days before Sunday's group stage match against Belgium.

However, the federation said the request was denied.

"Given that the game will be played at 12pm local time in Los Angeles, the football federation of Iran requested that the team be allowed to travel to Los Angeles two days before the match," the spokesperson said.

"The aim was to provide sufficient time for players to adapt to the match conditions, complete their final training session, and finalise preparations.

"Despite the technical reasons presented by the federation, the request was once again denied."

The latest development comes after Iran's opening World Cup match against New Zealand on Monday, which ended in a 2-2 draw amid heightened political tensions.

Following the game, United States officials said the Iranian team would be required to leave the country within hours of the final whistle after each of its World Cup group matches in Los Angeles and Seattle.

The decision drew criticism over the handling of the team's visas and accommodation arrangements.

The Iranian delegation departed the United States a few hours after the match ended at about 8pm local time and returned to its base camp in Mexico, leaving the players without an additional recovery day at their hotel before resuming preparations for their next fixture.