The most oppressed team in the World Cup

Iran is one of the 48 teams which have qualified to play in the FIFA World Cup, 2026 football tournament, which has been co-hosted by USA, Canada, and Mexico. 84 of the tournament’s 102 matches will be played in USA.

Amir Ghalenoei, coach of Iran’s national football team playing in the World Cup has called his team ” the most oppressed team ” in the tournament.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/16/amir-ghalenoei-iran-coach-mehdi-taremi-fifa-us-world-cup

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/ckg48wvv0v2o

Ghalenoei complained that the President of Iran Football Federation was not given a US visa, and so could not attend the 3 matches Iran is playing in America ( 2 in Los Angeles, and 1 in Seattle ). Up to 15 Iranian football executives and support staff—including trainers, doctors, analysts, mediapersons, and the Iran Football Federation officials—were denied U.S. entry visas, leaving the squad without critical support personnel. Such support staff accompany all teams in such tournaments, but the Iranian support staff were denied visas to enter US territory, and could only watch Iran’s matches from Tijuana, Mexico.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy8286nqz87o

Iranian fans living in Iran, who wanted to physically attend Iran’s matches, also could not get US visas

The Iranians had earlier decided to set up their base camp in Tucson, Arizona, but this was denied by the US government, and they had to set up their base camp in Tijuana, Mexico.

https://www.espn.in/football/story/_/id/49120177/iran-fifa-complaint-world-cup-travel-usa

To travel from Tijuana to Los Angeles should have taken half an hour, but it took 5 hours for the Iranian team, due to numerous, unnecessary immigration and security checks ( as if a gang of terrorists were invading America ).

Immediately after their matches with New Zealand and Belgium, the Iranian team was told to pack up and get out of America, denying them any recovery time.

No doubt there was a war between USA and Iran, and war clouds still remain. But should a sports event be politicised in this manner ? Should the Iranian team have been treated so harshly by the American authorities ?

Despite all the restrictions and handicaps placed on it, Iran has drawn both its matches, against New Zealand and Belgium, and now has to play Egypt on 26th June in Seattle.

The Iranian team has been subject to specific U.S. travel restrictions requiring them to travel to U.S. venues within 24 hours of their matches and return immediately to their training base in Mexico.

Additionally, due to visa restrictions preventing Iranian fans from entering the country, on 26th June the stadium is expected to be filled almost entirely with Egyptian supporters. The Iranians will be only those already living in America, as it happened in the 2 earlier matches in LA.

Though US authorities have treated the Iranian team shabbily, Mexicans have gone all out to support them, especially in Tijuana where the Iranian team is staying

But what has restored my faith in the goodness of the American people is this video

This video shows 3 Americans, a young boy, an old man, and an adult, marching in Los Angeles in support of the Iran team before the match between Iran and New Zealand. This reminded me of the painting ‘Spirit of 76’ by Archibald Willard, which also shows a young boy, an old man, and an adult, marching during the American War of Independence ( 1775-81 )

Some people are critical of Americans, but I have always praised and admired them ( see my articles below ) :
https://indicanews.com/long-live-the-american-people-2/
https://indicanews.com/long-live-america/
https://indicanews.com/july-4th-american-independence-day/
This recent video of Americans supporting the Iranian football team in its recent match with New Zealand in the FIFA World Cup, 2026 has again proved me right
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/xRfn76RoeEo
What is common in the video and the painting is that there is a young boy with an old man (old enough to be the boy’s grandfather ), and an adult, marching side by side. The young boy represents the future, the old man represents the past, and the adult represents the present
In the painting, the three are determined to fight for freedom against the tyrannical British rule in America.
In the video, the three, contrary to the behaviour of their government which has made war on Iran and inflicted terrible suffering on its people, express their solidarity with the brave Iranian people, who are fighting for a righteous cause ( freedom from foreign domination ), and have refused to surrender.
I submit that this boy, the old man, and the adult in the video, like the boy, the old man, and the adult in the painting, are the true Americans, not those in power and authority

I cannot help but conclude with these videos, to which no explanatory note needs to be added :

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Jt-7-jicms0&t=192s…

https://youtube.com/watch?v=gMe62tcBn5k…

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Preview YouTube video FIFA World Cup 2026 | Iran Coach Amir Ghalenoei Calls Team ‘Most Oppressed’Preview YouTube video FIFA World Cup 2026 | Iran Coach Amir Ghalenoei Calls Team ‘Most Oppressed’