The US administration's handling of the Iranian football team has repeatedly come under scrutiny in the lead-up to the 2022 World Cup. Iran's coach, Amir Ghalenoei, has expressed his frustration with the inconsistent scheduling of the team's World Cup training, which has left them with less than 16 hours to prepare for their upcoming match against Belgium.
The squad has had to commute to the US for their Group G matches due to severe restrictions over their stay in the country. However, the restrictions have been applied inconsistently from game to game, making it difficult for the team to prepare.
Ghalenoei pointed out that the US authorities had given his team 24 hours to prepare before their 2-2 draw with New Zealand on the first matchday. However, for their match against Belgium, they were left with less time to train.
Ghalenoei reserved some of his sharpest criticism for the inconsistency in the treatment of Iran's travel plans. He questioned why the US authorities had allowed them to make their own decisions about travel arrangements for their final group match against Egypt on 26 June, but not for their previous two matches.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino has been trying to ease the challenges Iran is facing, and Ghalenoei praised the governing body for attempting to help. However, he expressed his gratitude to the US authorities for facilitating the team's arrival procedures despite his frustrations over the lost preparation time.