Iran played its first World Cup match in Los Angeles on Monday night, drew 2-2 with New Zealand, and was told to get on a plane back to Mexico before the team could even sleep.

Head coach Amir Ghalenoei said the order came right after the final whistle. "After the game today they said to us: 'You have to leave immediately,'" he told reporters, adding that the team had been booked to stay overnight in LA to recover and fly out the next day at lunchtime. [1] Instead they were sent straight back to their camp in Tijuana. Captain Mehdi Taremi put it more bluntly: "Everything is like disaster for us." [1]

Here is the part the viral version skips. Ghalenoei never said who gave the order. He did not name FIFA, a tournament official, or the U.S. government, and it is unclear which one it was. [2] So the "the United States expelled Iran" framing is running ahead of what anyone on the team has actually confirmed. What's confirmed is the team felt forced out and doesn't know by whom. "It seems like others are doing the planning for us," Ghalenoei said. [1]

How does a team end up playing in a country it can't sleep in? Iran's home base for the tournament is in Mexico, not the U.S., even though all three of its group games are on American soil. The team had planned to train in Tucson, Arizona, but moved across the border to Tijuana weeks before kickoff over immigration concerns. [1] Those concerns proved real: 15 of the team's support staff were denied U.S. visas, a number later cut to 11 after some were approved. [1] Iran arrived in LA on Sunday, a day later than planned, and went straight to training.

The match itself was the good news. Ramin Rezaeian scored, won Player of the Match, and Mohammad Mohebi added the equalizer for a side that came from behind twice against a lower-ranked opponent. [3] FIFA president Gianni Infantino walked into the Iranian dressing room afterward. "I know what you go through, I understand, but you are stronger than everything," he told the players. "You are writing history." [2]

Ghalenoei's verdict on all of it: "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." [1]

Iran plays Belgium next Monday, back in Los Angeles, then Egypt in Seattle on June 27. Whether the team gets to stay the night this time is, so far, unanswered. [2]

Sources

Primary source: Iranian coach says team told to leave U.S. after match: "They didn't even give us time to recover"

  1. ‘Our team is the most oppressed’: Iran coach hits out at Fifa and US over treatment - The Guardian — reporting
  2. Iran’s World Cup Team Says It Was Forced To Leave U.S. After First Game - Forbes — reporting
  3. Iran coach says team ordered out of US right after 2-2 draw with New Zealand in World Cup opener - AP News — reporting
  4. Coach says Iran’s team forced out of US after Monday World Cup match - Straight Arrow News - SAN - Unbiased. Straight Facts. — reporting