The Iranian national anthem was booed by some spectators inside the SoFI Stadium in Los Angeles as Iran began their World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Group G.
Iran’s World Cup campaign has been highly politically charged since the USA and Israel began a war with the country on February 28th that continues months later after several rounds of failed negotiations.
However, the match took place hours after President Donald Trump announced a preliminary US-Iran peace deal had been signed to end the war which has led to Iran being forced out the country after every game they finish.
Head coach Amir Ghalenoei hit out at FIFA and revealed that such rules are seriously affecting his side this summer.
“After the game today they said to us, ‘You have to leave immediately,’” Ghalenoi said. “Whereas today it’s very important for us to have recovery.
“We’ve been asked to get on a plane and return to our camp in Tijuana and we are really troubled by that. They are forcing us to go back early. They are making the situation more and more difficult, more hurdles, but we’re not going to let that stop us from doing our best.
“We don’t know why they’re returning us, to be honest. I think it’s very strange. It seems like others are doing the planning for us … We were supposed to arrive two nights before the game but they didn’t permit (it). We were supposed to stay here tonight to recover and return tomorrow lunchtime.
“I think our team is the most oppressed one in the whole World Cup. Our federation isn’t here, our media isn’t here, our management isn’t here.”
Iran next face Belgium on Sunday, another game in which they must leave the US afterwards as politics get in the way of football.