Taremi rips into FIFA for World Cup ‘disaster’ as Iran captain reveals four-word Infantino dressing room nonsense | OneFootball

Iran captain Mehdi Taremi has ripped into FIFA for “a disaster World Cup” and revealed the nonsense spouted by Gianni Infantino during a visit to their dressing room.

Iran are on course to qualify for the last 32 as one of the eight best third-placed teams, but have had to deal with travel and visa issues throughout their time in North America with their country at war with the USA.

They’ve had to change their base-camp plans from the US to Mexico and alter their travel plans, with the team only allowed on US soil for a limited time for their Group G games.

Taremi already labelled the tournament a “disaster” following their draw with New Zealand and doubled down on that assertion following after another draw, with Egypt on Friday.

He said: “We always complain about these things since the beginning, it’s a disaster World Cup. A disaster.

“As professional players in a professional competition, it’s not right… it’s not fair… if it’s fair for Fifa, okay good for them.

“But it’s not fair. Who wants to help us… no one helps. No one.

“Who has to solve this problem for us? Who? Fifa? I don’t know. USA. I don’t know – just mention one name for me.

“I mean, FIFA, they have to solve every problem here but unfortunately this they couldn’t solve since the beginning. Mr Infantino came to our changing room [after the] first game and he said, ‘It’s just the beginning’.

“But [the] group stage finishes tomorrow and we don’t have our logistic people here, they don’t have a visa. How [is that] possible?”

Asked whether there was a feeling that the US and Fifa wanted Iran out of the tournament, Taremi added: “We have to fight against everything here. I don’t know what people want or know, but as we see it by our perspective, yeah, they’d like that, I think.”

Infantino told to ‘stand up’ to USA

Iran manager Amir Ghalenoei wants Infantino to do more and “stand up” to the co-hosts.

“I know Mr Infantino has tried his best to minimise the problems as much as possible but it was the host that wasn’t very good to us,” Ghalenoei told a post-match press conference.

“I urge FIFA to not let the hosts treat teams and players the same way in the future. I hope Mr Infantino will actually stand up to such behaviour.”