Iran forced to leave USA instantly after World Cup opener as FIFA protocols broken

Iran boss Amir Ghalenoei has declared his side are the ‘most oppressed’ team at the World Cup after being booted out of America.

It comes immediately after the Persian Cheetahs kicked off their campaign with a 2-2 draw against Group G opponents New Zealand in Los Angeles.

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They battled from a goal down at the SoFi Stadium as strikes from Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebi rescued a point for Iran.

Tensions have been high between Iran and the US Government amid the ongoing war between the two countries.

Due to the conflict, Iran were forced to move their training camp to Mexico, but will play all of their group games in the USA.

Iran have now returned back to Tijuana – after FIFA rejected their request to play each of their games in Mexico.

What has been said about the decision?

Ghalenoei immediately took aim at FIFA after Iran were told to immediately to depart the States.

He raged: “After the game today they said to us, ‘You have to leave immediately,’ whereas today it’s very important for us to have recovery.

“We’ve been asked to get on a plane and return to our camp in Tijuana and we are really troubled by that, they are forcing us to go back early.

“They are making the situation more and more difficult, more hurdles, but we’re not going to let that stop us from doing our best.

“We don’t know why they’re returning us, to be honest, I think it’s very strange, it seems like others are doing the planning for us.

“We were supposed to arrive two nights before the game but they didn’t permit [it].

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“We were supposed to stay here tonight to recover and return tomorrow lunchtime.

“I think our team is the most oppressed one in the whole World Cup, our federation isn’t here, our media isn’t here, our management isn’t here.”

Star striker Mehdi Taremi meanwhile has also hit out the way Iran are being treated.

He remarked: “Everything is like a disaster actually for us… still we have some problems because we are supposed to be training tomorrow morning – recovery – then leave for Tijuana.

“But we have to leave Los Angeles right now, and it’s not good for us. It’s not good for the football, because in World Cup, you have to prepare good for the next game.

“Because it is a lot of stress for the players and the staff and everyone. But we don’t have that support and I think FIFA have to help us more than this.”

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Taremi also declared that the squad expressed their concerns to FIFA president Gianni Infantino after he visited Iran in the dressing room after the four-goal thriller.

Iran fans defy FIFA

The decision to order Iran out of the US isn’t the only talking point from their World Cup opener after fans openly broke FIFA protocal against New Zealand.

Dozens of supporters could be seen waving pre-revolutionary Iranian flag inside the ground, while many other supporters had the design on T-shirts.

Just hours before kick-off, a Los Angeles court on Monday dismissed a last-ditch attempt to overturn FIFA’s ban regarding the flags.

FIFA claim that the flag in question, which has a different lion-and-sun motif to the current design, violates their code of conduct as it is historically linked with Iran’s previous Shah-led regime.

While fans made their voices heard inside, hundreds protested outside the stadium to rally against the Iranian regime.

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In the build-up to the clash, Iran’s sports minister Ahmad Donyamali, declared his country would stop the match if unauthorised flags were present.

Stating that Ghalenoei would be tasked with doing so, he said: “[He] will definitely be responsible for stopping the match.”

Iran will now turn their attention to their upcoming clash against Belgium, before pitting their wits against Egypt in their final group game.