Iran winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh has spoken about the challenges his national team is facing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup due to special travel restrictions imposed on the squad.
According to İdman.Biz, citing ESPN, Iran's players have only been allowed to enter the United States 24 hours before their matches during the tournament.
The Iranian team played its first two Group G matches in Los Angeles, drawing 2-2 with New Zealand and holding Belgium to a goalless draw. Despite the difficult circumstances, Iran remain unbeaten and firmly in contention for a place in the knockout stage.
“We just want fairness. We want the same treatment as other teams, and I don't think we're asking for much,” Jahanbakhsh said.
“At the same time, it is part of our culture that we perform better in difficult situations. I think this has made us even stronger as a group. We showed great character against Belgium, and obviously that is partly connected to the situation we are in.”
The experienced winger also expressed hope that Iran would be allowed to arrive earlier for their next match against Egypt.
“We hope we can travel earlier for the Egypt game. Seattle is further away from our base camp in Tijuana,” he added.
Iran will face Egypt in a crucial Group G encounter on June 27. Egypt currently lead the group with four points after defeating New Zealand 3-1, while Iran and Belgium both have two points after two rounds of matches.
