Mehdi Taremi criticised FIFA over Iran’s travel and logistical issues after their 1-1 draw with Egypt, calling the 2026 World Cup a “disaster” off the pitch.
Iran striker Mehdi Taremi launched a scathing attack on FIFA following his country’s dramatic 1-1 draw against Egypt, describing the 2026 World Cup as “a disaster” because of the logistical problems his team has faced throughout the tournament.
The result left Iran third in Group G after three consecutive draws, with their hopes of reaching the Round of 32 now hanging by a thread.
Although they currently occupy one of the qualifying third-place spots, they must rely on results elsewhere after failing to secure an outright place in the knockout stages.
It was a frustrating evening for Taremi on the pitch. The experienced forward missed a first-half penalty before VAR ruled out what would have been a dramatic stoppage-time winner after Shoja Khalilzadeh was adjudged to have been narrowly offside in the build-up.
Despite the disappointment of the result, Taremi focused most of his post-match interview on the off-field difficulties affecting the Iranian squad.
🚨Iran captain Mehdi Taremi on the VAR decision that disallowed Shoja Khalilzadeh’s last-minute goal against Egypt at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and calls VAR and FIFA incompetent:
🗣️ “I’m devastated. We all are.”
“We thought we’d won the match. We celebrated together, our… pic.twitter.com/fhtDzveYXb
— SethOfficial🇵🇹 (@UTD_Seth001) June 27, 2026
The Olympiacos striker questioned FIFA’s handling of the tournament, claiming the governing body had failed to resolve issues that had existed since the opening days of the competition.
Iran have been unable to base themselves in the United States during the World Cup after a late change forced them to operate from Tijuana, Mexico.
As a result, the squad has repeatedly travelled long distances between matches, limiting recovery time and disrupting preparations for crucial fixtures.
Taremi also revealed that several members of Iran’s backroom staff have been unable to join the team because their visa applications were denied. He said FIFA president Gianni Infantino had promised improvements after visiting the dressing room following Iran’s opening match, but insisted little had changed by the end of the group stage.
“We love the people of Mexico and Tijuana, they’ve been fantastic to us,” Taremi explained. “But for a professional competition, constantly travelling back and forth without proper recovery isn’t fair. We play for our people and want to spread a message of peace, but we don’t feel we’ve been treated fairly throughout this tournament.”
🚨🇮🇷 BREAKING — Iran’s Captain:
FIFA’s 2026 World Cup is “Not Fair.” pic.twitter.com/Xy0aXWThac
— Pamphlets (@PamphletsY) June 27, 2026
Despite his frustrations, the 33-year-old insisted the squad remain united and hopeful.
Taremi admitted he was saddened by the situation but said the dressing room was still full of belief as Iran prepared to watch the remaining group-stage fixtures, convinced they could still sneak into the knockout rounds while remaining proud of their performances across all three matches.
