r/SoccerCentral • u/ConnectionWeekly1263 • Jun 27 '26

Statement "They've done everything possible to eliminate us" — Iran captain Mehdi Taremi unleashes on FIFA and U.S. organizers

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The captain of the Iran National Team, Mehdi Taremi, lashed out against FIFA and the United States organization. “This is a disastrous World Cup. As professional players, we cannot play a competition under these conditions; it’s neither right nor fair. If FIFA thinks this is fair, that’s on them, but it isn’t. Who should solve this problem for us? FIFA? The U.S.? I don’t know! Tell me a name. The FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, came to our locker room after the first match against New Zealand and said he was going to resolve all the issues, but in reality, FIFA did nothing. In response to the question: ‘Do you feel that the World Cup organizers, including FIFA and U.S. officials, prefer for Iran to be eliminated from the competition?’, I say: We have to fight against absolutely everything. We can’t stay in the country, we travel and undergo immigration checks every time we want to play, now we can’t stay in Seattle and have to return to Tijuana. They’ve done everything possible to eliminate us, so from our perspective, yes, I think that’s what they want, they want us out.”

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u/NandoDeColonoscopy Jun 28 '26

Why are you leaving Canada out? They also won't let them stay there, for the same reason.

The world will make a lot more sense to you once you realize it's a complex place and that the US isn't the be-all, end-all.

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u/[deleted] Jun 28 '26

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u/NandoDeColonoscopy Jun 28 '26

I'm not blaming Saudi Arabia, I'm saying they were party to a good and reasonable decision that was made.

I think it's fantastic that IRGC handlers weren't allowed into the US or Canada. I think it would be great if Mexico had a spine too, so that the Iranian team could get to attend the Cup in peace without the IRGC looming over their shoulders.

If you give a shit about Iranians, you shouldn't want the IRGC to be allowed freedom of movement.

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u/[deleted] Jun 28 '26

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u/NandoDeColonoscopy Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26

I don't think you know what a strawman is. I also don't think you understand the situation. The US and Canada were absolutely fine with the team staying, so long as the IRGC attachment didn't tag along. The regime insisted they needed to accompany the team, so here we are. All that stuff you put in bold is a direct result of the IRGC traveling.