Captain Mehdi Taremi: World Cup Organizers Prefer Iran's Elimination

Iran's national football team captain, Mehdi Taremi, has openly accused the sport's global governing body, FIFA, of bias, suggesting that the tournament organizers are hoping for Iran's early exit from the 2026 World Cup. This strong condemnation comes as Iran's chances of progressing to the knockout rounds for the first time ever hang precariously, following a contentious 1-1 draw against Egypt in Seattle's 'Pride Match,' where a potential winning goal for Iran was disallowed due to an offside call in the dying moments.

Taremi had previously labeled the World Cup a "disaster" after Iran's initial draw against New Zealand. On Friday, he reiterated these sentiments, sharply criticizing FIFA for its perceived inaction in assisting his squad. "We always complain about these things since the beginning, it's a disaster World Cup. A disaster," Taremi stated. He continued, "As professional players in a professional competition, it's not right... it's not fair... if it's fair for FIFA, okay good for them. But it's not fair. Who wants to help us... no one helps. No one."

He further pressed on the issue, asking, "Who has to solve this problem for us? Who? FIFA? I don't know. USA. I don't know - just mention one name for me." Taremi also recalled a promise made by FIFA president Gianni Infantino: "[FIFA president Gianni] Infantino came to [our locker room] the first game [against New Zealand] and said we will solve every problem here, but actually FIFA did nothing."

Echoing his captain's concerns, Iran's head coach, Amir Ghalenoei, commented that the "USA's behavior towards us has been really terrible, and we hope the world will be aware of that." These grievances stem from a series of challenges faced by the Iranian delegation, including the denial of visas to several team members for entry into America earlier this year, a situation that arose after a conflict erupted involving the US and Israel. Consequently, the team was compelled to relocate its training base to Mexico.

During a notable press briefing in Seattle, Taremi was directly asked if he believed the World Cup organizers, encompassing FIFA and US authorities, wished for Iran to be eliminated. He responded, "We have to fight against everything here. I don't know if people want [that] or not, but as we see it by our perspective, yeah, they are like that, I think."

The 1-1 outcome against Egypt ensured automatic qualification for Belgium and Egypt from Group G. Iran now finds itself in a waiting game, hoping to secure one of the coveted top eight third-place spots, dependent on other match results. Despite the uncertainty, Taremi expressed a mix of disappointment and resolve. "I feel sad, but we have hope," he remarked, also lamenting the team's ongoing travel back to Tijuana post-match.

He concluded with a message emphasizing their dedication and desire for peace: "We always do our best. We play for our people. We want them to be happy because we want to bring the joy. We want to send a message of peace for the people in Iran, outside of Iran, for FIFA, for everyone. But there is no peace about the others to us."