"This is a disaster, not a World Cup!" – Iran captain launches scathing attack on FIFA and Infantino
Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
The captain of Iran’s national team, Mehdi Taremi, unleashed a fierce tirade against FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, over what he described as appalling conditions provided for his squad at the World Cup.
Details: The striker’s angry statement came immediately after the final whistle of the third group stage match against Egypt. Iran played out their third consecutive draw in the group phase and now face an agonizing wait for other results to find out if they will advance to the round of 32. Taremi called the logistical challenges faced by his team a true catastrophe.
Originally, Iran was set to be based in Tucson, Arizona for the tournament. However, at the end of May, due to the ongoing military conflict between the US and Iran, the team was forced to urgently relocate their camp to Tijuana, Mexico.
Speaking to reporters, Taremi did not hold back his emotions, emphasizing that FIFA was obliged to resolve all issues but had completely failed from the very start. According to the captain, Gianni Infantino visited their dressing room after the opening match against New Zealand and assured them that “this is only the beginning,” yet the group stage is almost over and nothing has improved.
The most absurd aspect of the situation is that Iran has effectively been left without logistical staff at the tournament – their personnel simply weren’t granted visas, leaving the players to constantly shuttle back and forth from Tijuana for matches.
Reminder: Iran demanded that FIFA change the conditions for their match against Egypt.
