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After primitively being slated to walk nan nighttime successful Los Angeles pursuing its World Cup opener connected Monday, nan Iranian men's shot squad was ordered to time off nan state arsenic soon arsenic possible.
Coach Amir Ghalenoei said it was ordered to time off nan U.S. and return to its training guidelines successful Mexico only a fewer hours aft opening its politically charged tourney by playing to a 2-2 tie pinch New Zealand connected Monday night.
Ghalenoei didn't opportunity who ordered nan Iranians to time off earlier than planned. The squad had expected to walk nan nighttime successful California to maximize nan normal betterment process aft its opening game, only to beryllium told aft nan lucifer that everyone must instantly get connected a level for nan 140-mile travel backmost to Tijuana.
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The Iran nationalist shot squad poses earlier nan 2026 FIFA World Cup Group G lucifer against New Zealand astatine SoFi Stadium successful Inglewood, California, connected June 15, 2026. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu)
"They didn’t moreover springiness america clip to recover," Ghalenoei said done an interpreter. "After nan crippled today, they said to us, ‘You person to time off immediately.’ It’s very important for america to person clip for recovery, (but) we are asked to get connected a level and return to our campy successful Tijuana, and we are really troubled by that."
Iran skipper Mehdi Taremi said nan squad endured 5 hours of recreation and information checks during what is usually a very short travel from Tijuana to nan Los Angeles area connected Sunday.
Members of nan Iranian National Football squad get by autobus astatine nan Marriott Hotel successful Tijuana, Mexico, aft their 2026 FIFA World Cup Group G lucifer against New Zealand connected June 15, 2026. (Carlos Moreno/Anadolu)
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"We don’t cognize why they are returning us, to beryllium honest," Ghalenoei said. "I deliberation it’s very strange. It seems for illustration others are doing nan readying for us. The decision-making for america is being made elsewhere. We were expected to travel 2 nights earlier nan game, and we were expected to enactment coming to retrieve and return tomorrow astatine lunchtime. We person nary thought why.
"I deliberation our squad is possibly nan astir oppressed successful nan World Cup."
Taremi called connected FIFA to connection further assistance.
"I deliberation FIFA person to thief america much than this. ... Everything is for illustration a disaster, actually, for us," he said.
The Iranians’ remaining 2 games successful group play are against Belgium successful Inglewood connected Sunday, followed by a travel to Seattle to look Egypt adjacent week.
Iran fans observe wildly arsenic their squad battles New Zealand to a World Cup draw. (Photo by Liza Rosales/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
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While several 100 Iranian Americans protested nan authorities outside, many fans from nan diaspora jeered and turned their backs connected nan section during nan nationalist anthem. Dozens of Lion and Sun emblems — nan centerpiece of Iran’s charismatic emblem earlier 1979 — were displayed successful nan crowd contempt FIFA’s attempts to support them away, while dozens much fans wore nan Lion and Sun emblems connected T-shirts.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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