The Iranian football federation has announced its intention to lodge a formal complaint with FIFA, alleging that its national team is facing unfair travel restrictions during the ongoing 2026 World Cup in North America.

A spokesman for the federation stated on Thursday that despite the team submitting its tournament preparation schedule well in advance, they have "once again encountered restrictions imposed by the organizers, affecting the implementation of its technical staff's plans."

The controversy centers on the team’s travel logistics for their upcoming Group stage match against Belgium, scheduled for Sunday in Los Angeles.

The Iranian federation had requested permission to fly from their current base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, to Los Angeles two days prior to the match to ensure optimal preparation.

However, the federation claims this request was rejected by organizers.

Explaining the necessity of the request, the spokesman said, "Given that the game will be played at 12 pm local time in Los Angeles, the Football Federation of Iran requested that the team be allowed to travel to Los Angeles two days before the match."

He further added, "The aim was to provide sufficient time for players to adapt to the match conditions, complete their final training session, and finalize preparations."

The Iranian delegation expressed frustration that, despite presenting these technical justifications to tournament officials, the request was "once again denied."

The federation indicated that they are now taking the matter to FIFA to seek redress regarding what they describe as unfair limitations on their team's ability to prepare for competition.

Source: AFP