Iran to Complain to FIFA Over World Cup Travel Restrictions Iran's soccer federation announced on Thursday that it will formally file a complaint with FIFA after its request to travel to Los Angeles two days before Sunday's World Cup match against Belgium was denied. The team, which had its base camp relocated from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, ahead of the tournament, has criticized the restrictions for forcing them to travel to matches the day before games and return immediately afterward. The federation argued that such limitations unfairly disrupt preparation and contradict FIFA's principles of equal conditions for all teams. The Iran team, known as Team Melli, made a 127-mile charter flight from Tijuana International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport the day before its opening 2-2 draw against New Zealand on Monday. The journey, which typically takes less than an hour, took five hours due to extensive security and immigration checks. Team captain Mehdi Taremi described the ordeal as a significant burden, while coach Amir Ghalenoei called his team "the most oppressed team in the whole World Cup" after the match. Iran returned to Mexico shortly after the game ended around 8 p.m. Pacific time, missing the opportunity to rest for a full day. In a statement, the federation highlighted the early kickoff time of Sunday's match—noon Pacific time—and emphasized that the restrictions "are inconsistent with the principle of providing equal conditions for all participating teams." Hedayat Mombeini, the Iran soccer secretary-general, stated through a translator that the team is "the only team participating in the World Cup that we are at the host cities just 24 hours" and that these limitations negatively impact players' physical and mental well-being.#fifa #amir_ghalenoei #iran_soccer_federation #mehdi_taremi #hedayat_mombeini
