00:00A World Cup meant to unite the world.
00:03Instead, accusations of unfair treatment, travel chaos, visa problems,
00:09and an emotional outburst from one of Asia's biggest football stars.
00:14Iran captain Mehdi Tarimi has launched a blistering attack on FIFA
00:19and its president Gianni Infantino,
00:22describing the tournament as nothing short of a disaster for his team.
00:26Speaking after Iran's dramatic 1-1 draw against Egypt and Seattle,
00:32Tarimi said his squad had been forced to battle not only opponents on the pitch,
00:36but logistical obstacles off it.
00:39The striker did not hold back.
00:42It's a disaster World Cup. A disaster, Tarimi told reporters.
00:47According to him, FIFA promised to resolve the team's problems after the opening match.
00:52He claimed Gianni Infantino personally visited Iran's dressing room
00:57and assured players that their difficulties would soon be addressed.
01:01But with the group stage now complete, Tarimi says almost nothing has changed.
01:06The biggest issue, according to Iran, has been travel restrictions.
01:11Originally, the national team planned to establish its World Cup base in Tucson, Arizona.
01:17However, rising political tensions between the United States and Iran
01:21forced the squad to relocate to Tijuana, Mexico.
01:25Since then, players have repeatedly crossed the border into the United States
01:29for every group stage match before returning immediately afterward.
01:35Tarimi argued that the constant travel has taken a heavy physical and mental toll on the players.
01:41He also revealed that several key members of Iran's support staff,
01:45including logistics and recovery specialists, were unable to secure U.S. visas.
01:51We don't have our logistics people here, Tarimi said.
01:54They don't have visas.
01:56We have no recovery staff.
01:58We have no logistical manager to help us.
02:00Who wants to help us?
02:02If they want us to be out, then fine.
02:04But this is not fair.
02:06The Iranian captain stressed that small details often decide matches at the highest level.
02:12Recovery sessions, travel planning, nutrition and mental preparation
02:17all become critical during a major tournament.
02:20Without those resources, he argued,
02:22Iran has been forced to compete under unequal conditions.
02:26Iran coach Amir Galanoi echoed those frustrations.
02:30He accused tournament co-hosts the United States of treating Iran unfairly throughout the competition.
02:37According to Galanoi, the team should have been allowed to arrive in the United States
02:41weeks earlier to repair properly.
02:44Instead, he believes political restrictions left the squad physically and mentally disadvantaged.
02:50He has now urged FIFA to ensure that future World Cup hosts
02:54never place teams in similar situations again.
02:57Despite the difficulties, Iran came agonizingly close to securing automatic qualification.
03:04Late in stoppage time against Egypt,
03:07Shouja Khalilzadeh thought he had scored the winning goal.
03:10But after a VAR review, the goal was ruled offside.
03:15Instead of advancing directly, Iran finished third in Group G.
03:19The team must now wait anxiously for results elsewhere
03:22to determine whether they qualify for the round of 32 as one of the tournament's best third-placed teams.
03:29Reflecting on the campaign,
03:31Galanoi admitted the squad feels both unlucky and unfairly treated.
03:36Yet, he insists his players will remain focused while awaiting their fate.
03:40For Iran, the battle is no longer just about football.
03:44It has also become a debate over fairness, logistics,
03:48and whether every team is truly competing on equal terms at the world's biggest sporting event.
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