Mehdi Taremi has launched a strong criticism of FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, claiming that Iran’s national team feels tournament organisers would rather see them knocked out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The comments came after Iran’s dramatic 1-1 draw with Egypt national football team in their final Group G match. The result left Iran waiting to discover whether they would qualify for the knockout stage as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.
Speaking after the match, Taremi expressed frustration over what he described as a series of logistical and administrative problems that disrupted Iran’s World Cup campaign. According to the captain, visa restrictions prevented several key members of the team’s support staff from joining the squad, while repeated travel between their training base in Mexico and match venues in the United States created additional challenges.
Taremi said FIFA had promised to help resolve those issues after Infantino personally met with the team earlier in the tournament. However, he argued that little changed, leaving the squad to deal with ongoing travel difficulties and reduced support personnel.
The striker went further by suggesting that both FIFA and tournament organisers appeared to want Iran eliminated from the competition, saying his team had been forced to “fight against everything” throughout the tournament. His remarks echoed those of Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei, who also accused the tournament hosts of treating the Iranian team unfairly.
Despite the controversy, no evidence has been presented to support Taremi’s allegation that FIFA deliberately wants Iran out of the competition. FIFA has not publicly responded to the captain’s accusations as of the latest reports.
Key Takeaways
- Iran captain Mehdi Taremi accused FIFA and tournament organisers of wanting Iran eliminated.
- He cited visa problems, travel disruptions and logistical challenges during the tournament.
- Taremi said Gianni Infantino had promised assistance that never fully materialised.
- Iran’s coach, Amir Ghalenoei, also criticised the treatment of the team.
- FIFA had not issued an official response to the allegations at the time of reporting.
The Tori (Pidgin Summary)
Iran Captain Don Blast FIFA, Say Dem Want Make Iran Comot World Cup
Iran captain, Mehdi Taremi, don accuse FIFA and World Cup organisers say dem no want make Iran continue for the tournament. According to am, visa wahala, travelling stress and other problems make life hard for the team. E also talk say FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, promise to help dem but nothing really change. Iran coach sef support the complaint, but FIFA never reply to the allegations.
