World Cup 2026: Mehdi Taremi criticizes the World Cup tournament in its entirety!

26.06.26 FT World Cup

Egypt

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Iran

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The frustration boiling over in Iran's camp finally found its voice through captain Mehdi Taremi, who launched a scathing attack on FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino following the final whistle of their third group-stage encounter against Egypt. The match, which ended in yet another stalemate—their third consecutive draw of the tournament—left the Iranian squad stranded in uncertainty, now forced to wait anxiously for other results to determine whether their World Cup journey would continue into the Round of 32.

But it wasn't just the scoreline that fueled Taremi's fury. Speaking to journalists in the mixed zone, the striker unloaded a torrent of anger over what he called a logistical nightmare that had plagued his team from the very outset. According to Taremi, the problems began long before a ball was kicked. Iran had originally been slated to set up their tournament base in Tucson, Arizona, but those plans were abruptly scrapped at the end of May. The reason? Escalating military tensions between the United States and Iran forced the team to hastily relocate their camp to Tijuana, Mexico—a last-minute upheaval that set the tone for everything that followed.

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Taremi did not mince words, insisting that FIFA bore full responsibility for resolving such issues and yet had dropped the ball entirely. He recounted a moment early in the tournament when Infantino personally visited the Iranian dressing room after their opening game against New Zealand, offering what seemed like reassurance: "This is only the beginning," the FIFA president had told them. But with the group stage now nearly over, Taremi lamented, nothing had changed—the same chaos, the same neglect.

Perhaps the most absurd twist in this saga, however, is the absence of Iran's own logistical support staff. Their personnel, Taremi revealed, were never granted entry visas, leaving the players to fend for themselves in a relentless commute between Tijuana and match venues. For a team already grappling with the weight of geopolitical tensions, the added burden of administrative incompetence has proven almost too much to bear.

Hazem Mlhem |

Editorar, en

Hazem Mlhem est un rédacteur sportif expérimenté, animé par une passion pour le football africain.

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