"This is not a World Cup, it's a disaster!" — Mehdi Taremi slams FIFA

The pitches of the 2026 World Cup across the ocean have seen not only goals and intense battles but also major conflicts. While a 1-1 draw against the Egyptian national team in Seattle allowed the Iranian national team to keep their play-off hopes alive, after the match, the team captain Mehdi Taremiexploded, exposing serious flaws in the tournament.

According to the famous Daily Mail publication, the Iranian forward harshly criticized the organizing committee and FIFA leadership due to terrible logistics (travel and accommodation) issues at the World Cup and the indifference of the organizers.

Mehdi Taremi's bitter quote:

"We have been complaining about this from the very beginning. This is a disaster, not a World Cup. A real disaster! We are professional players in a professional competition; this is wrong, this is unfair.

If FIFA considers this fair — fine for them. Who wants to help us? No one helps. No one! Who should be responsible for our problems? FIFA? I don't know. USA? I don't know — give me a name.

Gianni Infantino came to our dressing room after the first match and said he would solve all the problems, but in practice, FIFA has done nothing!"

What are Iran's play-off chances?

Returning to the situation on the pitch, the fate of the Persians has not yet been definitively decided. The team is now in waiting mode:

• Current status: Iran finished the group stage with 3 points and took third place in their group.

• The task: Now they must be among the 8 best third-placed teams to secure a spot in the Round of 32 (play-offs).

• Next step: The team members are closely monitoring how the matches in the remaining groups conclude from their hotels.

In this World Cup hosted by three major nations (USA, Canada, and Mexico), the constant flying of teams from one city to another is indeed pushing many footballers to their limit. Do you think Taremi's objections are justified, or is it just emotion?