Sports
Iran Accused USA of ‘Discriminatory Actions’ Ahead of World Cup
Iran have launched a furious accusation against the USA in a fresh statement released just days before the start of the 2026 World Cup. Team Melli’s conflict with the host nation is nothing new, with complications previously arising over visa issues, safety concerns, and the ongoing tensions in the Middle East during Donald Trump’s presidency.
Despite all of that, Iran will be competing in this summer’s major international tournament. They will base themselves in Mexico rather than Arizona in an effort to make their preparations as straightforward as possible given the geopolitical tensions. They face Egypt, Belgium and New Zealand in Group G, with their opener against the latter coming in Inglewood, California, on June 16.
According to the White House, Iran’s players have already been granted visas allowing them to enter the United States. However, several members of the travelling party’s backroom staff are still awaiting theirs, renewing hostilities at the worst possible time.
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Iran Launch Furious Accusation Against USA Ahead of World Cup Opener
As reported by Iran’s state media agency Tasnim, a number of officials, including executive director Mehdi Kharati, the secretary-general of the football federation, Hedayat Mombini, and media director Mohsen Motamedkia, are yet to receive their visas. In a statement on Saturday afternoon, it has accused the USA of “hostile actions”:
“The US government, continuing its hostile actions against the national team, made a non-sporting and completely political decision to refuse visas for key managerial and administrative members of the Iranian national football team.
“This issue will definitely be pursued by the Football Federation through FIFA. As the responsible body, [FIFA] has the duty to follow up and finalise the visas for the managerial, executive, technical and support staff of the Iranian national team who are currently in camp and whom the national team urgently needs.”
Meanwhile, the Turkey-based Iranian Embassy also took to X, posting a similar statement slamming the US for ‘deliberately’ blocking staff members’ visas. “Why do you not say that visas were denied to a large portion of the managerial and executive staff, technical advisers and others who are an integral part of any national football team?” the Iranian embassy posted.
The statement continued: “You have now escalated the deliberate and discriminatory treatment against Iran’s national football team to its highest level.”
Journalists Also Facing Visa Complications
It turns out that Iranian and African journalists were also coming up against the same struggles as Team Melli this weekend. In a letter set to FIFA, the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) president Gianni Merlo wrote: “We find ourselves facing a long-standing and unacceptable problem for us journalists: the denial of entry visas to regularly accredited colleagues.
“There are many cases: Iranian colleagues, African colleagues, some of whom have been given single entries, so if their team goes to play in Canada or Mexico and they follow it, they can no longer return to the States.
“The cases are countless and, I repeat, unacceptable. Politicians always say that sport unites and builds bridges between young people in countries in conflict, but in this case, we are going in the opposite direction.”
“We believe it is important to allow colleagues to attend the event and work, because their presence will be crucial to the image of sport and what it represents, especially in a country like the United States of America, where freedom of the press is a must.
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Far from a warm welcome into the host country.
“I hope FIFA can do everything possible to secure visas. We’re already significantly behind schedule, and many colleagues have already lost the opportunity to use plane tickets booked on time, and they’ll also face significant additional expenses.”
A FIFA spokesperson confirmed to The Athletic that the organisation had received the letter before adding that this was an immigration matter controlled by the host nations – the US, Mexico and Canada.
It is almost a foregone conclusion that Liverpool will be linked with a number of Bournemouth players in this summer transfer window.
Leaving the Vitality Stadium after three years in the dugout, Spaniard Andoni Iraola is the new manager at Liverpool, having replaced the sacked Arne Slot at the helm.
Iraola enjoyed three successful years on the south coast, guiding the Cherries to the UEFA Europa League for the first time in their history at the end of this season, ending the campaign 18 games unbeaten.
Iraola likely to be linked with Bournemouth’s best
Now with work to do at Anfield to get Liverpool back challenging for the Premier League title, after the Reds only finished fifth this season, one place above Bournemouth, Iraola may look at some of his old players to do a job for him in the north west.
Marcos Senesi is already leaving the Cherries, set to sign on a free transfer from Tottenham, while the likes of Alex Scott, Eli Junior Kroupi and Rayan have all been linked with a move away from the south coast club.
Rayan has a £130million release clause, although it does not come into effect until the January transfer window, while if Scott does not agree to sign a new contract, Bournemouth may be forced to sell to one of the big six in the Premier League.
Junior Kroupi has already attracted the attention of Arsenal who are on the lookout for a new striker this summer, but the teen sensation is now being linked with a move to Liverpool too.
Junior Kroupi was a Premier League record-breaker
The striker broke Premier League records this season when he scored the most goals by a teenager in a single Premier League campaign, beating Robbie Keane and Robbie Folwer by netting 13 goals.
He has also been likened to Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, with analytical website Breaking The Lines saying: “He has all the hallmarks of a potential world-class striker with traits not dissimilar to Thierry Henry, especially in the entirely indiscriminate way that he finishes the chances that are created for him. He also shares the searing pace that a young version of Henry was so famous for.”
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Iraola knows what it would take to sign Kroupi for Liverpool, having probably been privy to talks over Bournemouth’s transfer plans before he left.
According to the i paper, there is an expectation that Kroupi will stay on the south coast this summer, although he does not have a release clause in his contract.
He has been labelled as a “special case” by the i paper, who say that his price tag would be “well in excess” of £100million and that three figures would be what is required to test the waters with Bournemouth over a deal.
With less than a week to go before the 2026 World Cup kicks off, participating nations have been arriving in the United States. It will come as no surprise to hear that this has been difficult for some fans, staff members, and even players.
President Donald Trump currently has 39 countries on his travel ban list, while Iran appear to have had their training camp moved to Mexico, from the originally planned location of Tucson, Arizona, due to the nation’s ongoing conflict with the US. Getting visas into North America is no easy task either.
South Africa recently had to hold an emergency meeting after players and officials were denied visas, preventing them from arriving into Mexico as planned. Iraq have reportedly been the latest nation to have difficulties, this time coming after they’ve made it into the US.
Iraq Star Held For Hours in Chicago’s O’Hare Airport
As per Reuters, Iraq’s World Cup striker, Aymen Hussein, was held and questioned for nearly seven hours at Chicago’s O’Hare airport after arriving with the squad early on Saturday morning (6 June). According to an Iraqi sporting official, the 30-year-old was finally allowed in, but the team’s photographer was barred from entering the United States.
While no official comment has yet been made by Iraq on the matter, an official explained that Hussein’s phone was inspected after he arrived. He then added:
“National team photographer Talal Salah was held for more than 10 hours, underwent similar phone checks, and was ultimately denied entry into the United States.”
Hussein Scored Vital Goal To Send Iraq to 2026 World Cup
Considering Hussein is currently his nation’s fifth all-time top goal scorer – and netted the goal that secured qualification for the World Cup finals – Iraq will be relieved that he was eventually allowed into the host country. After all, Swiss striker Breel Embolo has been denied entry into the US, although that visa issue is said to be related to a past issue with the law.
However, this is far from a warm welcome or ideal preparation for Iraq, who come up against Norway in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on 16 June. They will also play France and Senegal in Group I.
Iraq are returning to the World Cup for the first time since making their debut 40 years ago, and it’s understood that fans came out in the early hours of the morning to greet the squad at the O’Hare airport, holding flags and asking players to pose for pictures. At this point, Hussein and team photographer Salah were held for hours.
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According to Reuters, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Homeland Security Department did not immediately respond when quizzed about the incident.
Over the years, Pep Guardiola has come up against many worthy adversaries from within the world of football. It would be wrong to suggest he’s not gotten the better of all of them at one point or another.
Twice, for example, he beat Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United side in the Champions League final. In fact, Mikel Arteta is the only manager to finish ahead of Guardiola in the league twice with Arsenal – doing so in 2024/25 and then again in 2025/26 (although only the latter led to a Premier League title).
With that in mind, it’s no shock to learn that the Catalan coach has won three La Liga titles, three Bundesliga titles, six Premier Leagues, and the Champions League twice during his career as a manager. Talking more recently about his time in England, however, he has revealed one man was a ‘nightmare’ to come up against.
Guardiola Had Many Battles Against Premier League Icon
In an interview with Oasis musician Noel Gallagher on Manchester City’s website, Guardiola said that Jurgen Klopp was a nightmare to come up against when he was in charge of Liverpool. Even though he enjoyed a ‘good’ relationship with the German, he revealed how hard he found it to cope at Anfield, explaining:
“For the quality of the opponent we faced, we faced a lot but Liverpool was a nightmare. Every time, it was a nightmare.
“It [the relationship] was really good. It has always has been really good, even back in Germany. We faced each other a lot of times when he was at Dortmund. We have not been for dinner once but now it is going to happen.
“The relationship is one of the things I am proud of the most, I would say. They were really, really good first of all. But in the moment when they faced us they know that is the game that is the best of them and the best at Anfield.”
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Guardiola Had a Lot of Respect For Anfield
Not only was Klopp hard to come up against, but his iconic Liverpool team were boosted by an intimidating home ground. Indeed, Guardiola praised the stadium’s history:
“Anfield has a history that no stadium has. Few teams can win in Anfield. It’s a really tough place for me for the fact of the way they play, not just for the stadium.
“They were a special team. You sleep one second and they will punish you. The margins like that, it could have happened to us.”
Guardiola was pushed right to his limit in a number of title races, notably beating Liverpool by just one point during the 2018/19 season when Klopp’s men earned 97 points but still lost out. More pain happened for the Reds in 2019/20 when Man City managed 93 points, once again beating the German’s side by one point.
The former Barcelona manager has faced Klopp on 30 occasions across his career in total, coming up against Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool as Bayern Munich and Man City boss. In that time, he’s won 11 matches, drawn seven and lost 12. He’s never drawn or lost more times against any other manager.
They certainly had some legendary battles over the years.
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