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Iran captain Mehdi Taremi delivered a blunt message before Team Melli's World Cup opener, citing war, visa issues and growing tensions.

Iran captain Mehdi Taremi did not shy away from the extraordinary circumstances surrounding Team Melli’s arrival in Los Angeles, delivering a blunt assessment of how war, visa restrictions and political tensions have altered the World Cup experience.

Speaking before Iran’s Group G opener against New Zealand, Taremi said the atmosphere that traditionally defines the World Cup had been overshadowed by conflict and uncertainty, while several members of the delegation remained unable to enter the United States.

“We don’t have the same beautiful experience we always talk about — the peace, the joy,” Taremi said at a Sunday news conference in Los Angeles, as quoted by Al Jazeera reporter Ali Harb. “This kind of tension, it undermines that joy. It undermines the message of FIFA.”

Taremi, a 33-year-old striker for Olympiacos playing in his third World Cup, pointed to the U.S. denial of entry for a Somali referee as evidence that Iran was not the only nation absorbing the cost of geopolitics.

“I’ve been to three World Cups and they always say once you get off the plane, there’s a unique atmosphere of friendliness and globalness,” he said, according to an ESPN report on Iran’s World Cup complications. “Unfortunately, I’m not feeling it right now.”

Taremi and Jahanbakhsh Confront U.S. Tensions

Winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh — with 98 caps and stints in Belgium, the Netherlands, and England — was equally candid about the group’s mental state heading into the tournament.

“It’s been very difficult, I’ll be honest with you, for every single one of us,” Jahanbakhsh told ESPN. “You have to keep checking on your family, on your loved ones, on your people back home, and of course it’s affecting the group.”

Head coach Amir Ghalenoei went further in characterizing the host nation’s conduct.

“This kind of behavior will negatively impact the spirit of football,” Ghalenoei said, according to Al Jazeera. “Whether we win, whether we lose, this is a difficult feeling.”

He stressed that the team represents all Iranians regardless of political affiliation, saying, “We respect all Iranians, be it inside the country or outside.”

Iran’s Top Players and Road to the 2026 World Cup

On the field, Team Melli arrived in strong form despite the off-field turbulence. Iran topped their Asian qualifying group with just one loss and two draws across 10 matches. This is Iran’s seventh World Cup overall and fourth consecutive appearance.

Taremi leads the attack with 60 international goals across 105 caps, a résumé built at Porto and Inter Milan before Olympiacos. Jahanbakhsh provides width and experience alongside him. Veteran defender Ehsan Hajsafi (146 caps, Sepahan) anchors the backline, with goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand protecting the posts.

Striker Sardar Azmoun — 57 goals in 91 caps — was absent from the final squad. Ghalenoei addressed the omission without elaboration.

“Sardar is an excellent player, he has done a lot for us, he is not with us, we wish he was, but this is football,” he said, according to Al Jazeera.

U.S. President Donald Trump posted in March that Iran was “welcome to the World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety,” as quoted by ESPN. The squad made the journey regardless. When Sunday’s news conference wrapped without a single football question, Taremi closed with dry simplicity.

“We have high respect for New Zealand, and we hope it will be a good game,” Taremi said.