Los Angeles, USA – Iran’s national football team coach, Amir Ghalenoei, made a startling revelation following his team’s opening match against New Zealand in the 2026 World Cup. He stated, “Immediately after the match, we were told to leave the premises immediately,” without disclosing further details or identifying the source of this unexpected order. He also did not explain how he received it.
These developments came after sports officials in Tehran decided to move the team’s accommodation and training facilities from the United States to Mexico. This decision caused significant complications and problems in obtaining visas for the World Cup events held in American stadiums.
Turabi crisis and Tarmi’s detention at the airport
For its part, the Iranian national team’s media department explained that player Mehdi Torabi’s visa had expired. This necessitates him obtaining a completely new visa to be able to re-enter the United States for upcoming matches. The rest of the team members, however, possess multiple-entry visas.
In the same context, the Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported on Tuesday morning, June 16, about three hours after the match ended, that the departure of star player Mehdi Taremi and team coach Saeed Alavi from Los Angeles International Airport was unexpectedly delayed due to legal and administrative issues. This resulted in a delay to the Iranian delegation’s flight to Tijuana, Mexico, to finalize the necessary paperwork.
Egyptian anticipation for the Group 7 competitions
On the ground, the Iran-New Zealand match received intense public and media attention in Egypt, as the “Pharaohs” team is looking forward to facing this duo during the second and third rounds of the group stage competitions in the World Cup.
Group G standings: The opening match between Iran and New Zealand ended in a 2-2 draw. This exciting encounter, part of the first round of Group G, which also includes Egypt and Belgium, has intensified the competition for the two qualifying spots for the next round, amidst the tense atmosphere surrounding the Iranian delegation.
