Iran coach slams travel arrangements before match against Belgium

• Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei criticises difficult preparation conditions ahead of Belgium match.
• Team reportedly had less than 16 hours to prepare, cutting training time in half.
• Iran based in Tijuana and travelling to US due to World Cup logistical restrictions.

Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei has criticised what he described as increasingly difficult preparation conditions for the national team ahead of their World Cup Group G match against Belgium.

Ghalenoei said the situation had worsened compared to Iran’s opening match against New Zealand, pointing to logistical challenges affecting training and recovery.

The coach revealed that Iran had less than 16 hours to prepare for the match, forcing the squad to significantly reduce its training workload.

“We only managed to train half the time we usually spend on training,” Ghalenoei told reporters. “We wanted to have optimal physical and technical preparation.”

Iran have been based in Tijuana, Mexico, and are travelling to the United States for their Group G fixtures due to restrictions on their stay in the country, an arrangement that has drawn scrutiny during the tournament.

Ghalenoei also highlighted what he called inconsistencies in scheduling and travel arrangements, saying the team will have more control ahead of their final group match against Egypt in Seattle on Friday.

He questioned why similar arrangements were not made earlier in the tournament, pointing to the uneven preparation conditions across matches.