Iran Captain Ahead of First Match: "World Cup Amidst War... Feeling Tension Rather Than Excitement"

"People feel excitement while waiting for the World Cup, but we felt tension first."

Mehdi Taremi (Olympiacos), captain of the Iranian national football team, which has reached the final stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup amid a war with the United States, lamented ahead of their Group G opening match that they "cannot enjoy the beautiful experience of peace and joy."

Taremi attended an official press conference held at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, California, on June 15 (KST), and emphasized, "From the moment we arrived at this World Cup, we were tense. In a tournament filled with tension, it is difficult to have the beautiful experience full of peace and joy that we always talk about."

He added, "It is not just us. Many countries have experienced visa issues and changes to their training camps. Usually, people feel excitement while waiting for the World Cup, but I don't think we were able to fully feel those emotions this time."

Iran will play its first Group G match of the North and Central American World Cup against New Zealand at Los Angeles Stadium at 10:00 AM on June 16 (KST).

Due to the ongoing war between Iran and the United States, the Iranian national team players participated in the World Cup after many twists and turns.

The Iranian team originally planned to set up its base camp in Tucson, Arizona, but faced a difficult situation, having to urgently move its base camp to Tijuana, Mexico, due to diplomatic conflicts and visa issuance issues.

Los Angeles Stadium, where they will play their first match against New Zealand, is 225 km away from their base camp, causing the Iranian players to struggle with travel as well.

On this day, it took the Iranian team 5 hours to travel from Tijuana to Los Angeles Stadium, including the flight.

Taremi emphasized, "This kind of tension felt at the World Cup undermines FIFA's message that football brings peace," adding, "It is unfortunate that this World Cup could have been held in a better atmosphere. I hope for a better environment in the future."

Amir Ghalenoei, the head coach of the Iranian team who also attended the press conference, said, "There is no doubt that this environment will have a negative impact on the spirit of football. Football should unite countries and cultures. We are trying to ensure that the players can focus only on tactics and the match."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.