Tehran says denied request to arrive early in Los Angeles for Belgium clash has disrupted team preparations

Iran’s football federation has announced plans to lodge a formal complaint with FIFA, alleging that its national team is facing travel restrictions during the ongoing World Cup in North America.

According to the federation’s spokesperson, Iran requested permission to fly from its base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, to the United States two days ahead of its next match against Belgium, scheduled for Sunday in Los Angeles. However, the request was reportedly denied by tournament organisers.

“Despite submitting its preparation schedule for the tournament well in advance, Iran’s national team has once again encountered restrictions imposed by the organisers, which have affected the implementation of the technical staff’s plans,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson explained that the team had sought to arrive early in Los Angeles to allow players sufficient time to acclimatise to match conditions, complete final training sessions, and fine-tune preparations.

“The match will be played at 12:00 p.m. local time in Los Angeles, and the Football Federation of Iran requested that the team be allowed to travel two days before the game,” the spokesperson added.

Despite these technical considerations, the request was declined, prompting the federation to pursue a formal complaint with world football’s governing body.