Iran's Captain Taremi Speaks of Great Tension Ahead of World Cup Opener

The background is the political situation between Iran and the United States. Because of the conflict and political tensions, Iran had originally planned its World Cup base camp in Arizona but ultimately relocated it to Mexico. Under the original arrangements, the Iranian team would have entered the United States only on match days and left the country immediately after the games. In the end, however, the delegation apparently traveled together into the United States already the day before the first group match.

Background: Political Tensions and Relocation of the Base Camp

Shortly before the press conference began, it also became known that the United States and Iran had reached a preliminary agreement to end the Iran war after weeks of negotiations. According to the facts on record, the agreement was confirmed by the mediator Pakistan as well as by the governments of the United States and Iran. When asked by journalists, a FIFA representative did not want to allow questions about the agreement.

A FIFA spokesperson explained that Taremi and coach Amir Ghalenoei would only answer questions about the match, which was why the agreement could not be addressed at the press conference. There was initially no response to an inquiry sent to FIFA. When a journalist wanted to know how possible protests inside the stadium would be handled, he was interrupted by the FIFA spokesperson.

FIFA Silent on US-Iran Agreement

The Iranian football federation meanwhile distributed photos of its players leaving an aircraft. Ghalenoei said the political situation naturally affected his team and thanked the people in Mexico: "Natürlich betrifft uns das". The coach added that Iran was used to turning difficulties into opportunities: "Aber wir Iraner sind es gewohnt, aus Schwierigkeiten Chancen zu machen, und wir denken an nichts anderes, als den Menschen Freude zu bereiten".

Taremi also said he knew that several countries had had visa problems and had had to relocate their training camps. The anticipation for the tournament had also been different this time: "Bevor wir angekommen sind, gab es immer dieses Gefühl, diese Vorfreude auf eine Weltmeisterschaft. Ich glaube, dieses Mal hatten die Menschen vielleicht nicht dieselbe Vorfreude."

New Zealand Does Not Want to Be Distracted

On the New Zealand side, the mood was deliberately relaxed. Coach Darren Bazeley said his team had treated the preparation completely normally: "Um ehrlich zu sein, haben wir es wie ein normales Spiel behandelt in der Vorbereitung. Für uns ist es ein großes Spiel, weil es ein WM-Spiel ist". Bazeley added with a view to possible protests by the numerous Iranian exiles in Los Angeles: "Wenn das Spiel einmal losgeht bemerkt man die Fans sowieso nicht und wen sie anfeuern".

Mood Within the Iranian Team

Ghalenoei underlined his team's sporting ambition: "Niemand hat sich einfach so qualifiziert, sie haben hart dafür gearbeitet". According to the facts, the Iranian team faces New Zealand on the upcoming matchday, the first opponent in the World Cup group stage.

The mood before the tournament therefore remains strained from a sporting perspective as well. While Taremi and Ghalenoei emphasized the desire to bring joy to the people in Iran, they also pointed to the unusual external circumstances. Observers see the first press conference as a sign that the broader political climate has directly reached the sporting stage of the World Cup.