Iran's football federation says it will file a formal complaint with FIFA over travel restrictions affecting the team's movement between its Mexico base camp and U.S. match venues.
3:38 AM
Iran's football federation announced Thursday that it will lodge an official complaint with FIFA regarding travel restrictions imposed on the national team during the 2026 World Cup in North America.
The Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) said the restrictions are affecting the implementation of the technical staff's preparation plans. The federation had submitted its preparation schedule for the tournament in advance but encountered obstacles imposed by the tournament organisers.
The complaint centers on the denial of Iran's request to travel to Los Angeles two days before their Group G match against Belgium scheduled for Sunday, June 21. The federation sought the additional time to allow players to acclimate to local conditions and rest ahead of the midday kickoff.
In a statement, the FFIRI said the team needed to arrive in each city two days before every match and return to its base camp in Mexico afterward to achieve optimum preparation. The federation accused FIFA of maintaining an "inconsistent" approach to providing equal conditions for all participating teams.
"The Iranian Football Federation considers that these restrictions are incompatible with the principle of equal conditions for the teams participating and could affect the technical preparation of the teams," the federation said in a statement.
The FFIRI expressed its discontent with the decision while formally submitting its protest to FIFA. The federation's complaint comes as Iran continues to operate from a base camp in Mexico while playing matches in the United States during the tournament.
Iran's squad has been training at Centro Xoloitzcuintle in Tijuana, Mexico, ahead of their matches in the United States. The team's second Group G fixture against Belgium is set for June 21 in Los Angeles.
Iran's national team obtained necessary visas to compete in the 2026 World Cup in the United States following days of uncertainty.
FIFA approached Mexico after the United States declined to accommodate Iran's squad during the tournament, despite Iran playing group matches in the US.
Iran's ticket quota for supporters was withdrawn just before the tournament begins Thursday, leaving fans unable to attend matches in North America.
Infantino expressed confidence Iran will participate in the summer tournament hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico, despite political tensions and security concerns.
Iranian football federation representatives were turned back by Canadian authorities ahead of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver this week, raising questions about their World Cup participation.