Iran played their first 2026 World Cup match on American soil as they shared the points in a 2-2 draw against New Zealand on Tuesday.

The ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States of America has dominated the build-up to the competition. There was a strong chance the Middle Eastern nation would be forced to withdraw from the tournament over safety concerns.

However, they have turned up and will play all three of their group matches in the US. Preparations have been disrupted as Iran have been forced to train in Mexico and commute to the States for matches. Many members of their camp have also been denied visas to enter the country.

Iran Given Clear Instructions After New Zealand Draw

Kirby Lee (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters)

Following the full-time whistle, Iran players and head coach Amir Ghalenoei were critical about the way they’ve been treated, claiming travel disruptions are causing issues.

Speaking to the press after the match, Ghalenoei revealed that he and his players had been informed they must leave the country immediately, with no time allowed for recovery. Through a translator, he said:

“Our team is the most oppressed one in the whole World Cup,” the 62-year-old went on to claim. His star striker, Mehdi Taremi, added to his manager’s comments, saying: “Everything is like a disaster, actually, for us.”

An Iranian official told The Athletic that it was FIFA who ‘requested that our team return to Tijuana immediately after the match’. At 10:07 pm, just over two hours after the final whistle, the Iranian bus left SoFi Stadium as they began their journey back to Mexico.

Gianni Infantino’s Message to Iran Players

Henry Romero via Reuters

FIFA president Gianni Infantino visited the team’s dressing room after the game to deliver a message to the players. “I know what you go through, I understand,” he said. “But you are stronger than everything, and you send a strong message to the entire world.”

Footage of the Swiss boss’ speech has appeared online. After having his say, Infantino then listened as Ghalenoei explained his team’s struggles. Watch the interaction below.

Infantino is also reported to have said he’d try his best to get more of Iran’s delegation to the US for the upcoming games against Egypt and Belgium after many were denied visas.

Taremi confirmed the president’s intentions to try and help, saying: “For sure, he wants to try to help us, but it’s about other things too. You know, everyone knows. (I don’t) need to mention that, because you know where we are.”

UFC star Paddy Pimblett had a lot to say regarding Ilia Topuria‘s shock loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 over the weekend, going on quite the rant while watching the fight live for his YouTube channel.

Topuria went down to Gaethje following round four of their battle in the main event after some brutal shots from the American hurt and scarred him in round three. Then, some medical intervention and the team stepping in to throw in the towel meant the underdog for the fight came out on top as the new UFC lightweight champion.

Fans around the world were shocked by this result, and seemingly none more than Paddy Pimblett, who went on a scathing attack on Topuria following his defeat, both on social media via X and also on his vlog.

Paddy Pimblett’s Live Reaction to Ilia Topuria’s Defeat

After the onslaught from Gaethje, Pimblett said, “Oh my god, he’s gonna to quit,” regarding Topuria, following this up with, “Oh my god, Ilia Topuria, you little b****.”

During the video, there are shots of the Georgian-Spanish fighter looking worse for wear while being checked on by his corner and medical staff. His face is the point of concern for them; his eyes are both swollen over, and it was clear that he was struggling to see properly. This may have left the team with little choice.

Amber Searls via Imagn Images

Pimblett seemed to think differently, however, saying: “I couldn’t see, and I carried on f****** fighting cos I’m not a little b****.”

This is in reference to the Englishman’s battle with Gaethje himself at the end of January, in which Pimblett lost via decision. He then claimed he ‘went five with the man and kept biting down on my gummy and swinging.’

Eventually, the decision was made after the fourth that Topuria would not be able to continue and The Baddy was disappointed to say the least.

Not one to mince his words, especially towards rivals.

Pimblett was absent from the weekend’s monumental event, but made his presence felt nonetheless, as fans have come to expect.

Next up for the Brit is a lightweight bout against Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 329 in the co-main event. He will be hoping his words don’t come back to haunt him when he faces the God of War Saint-Denis in Paradise, Nevada.

You can watch Pimblett’s full vlog of him watching UFC Freedom 250 below.

Why are so many footballers at the 2026 World Cup wearing bright pink boots?

This is a question many football fans are asking following the tournament’s opening group stage matches.

This summer’s showpiece international tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada got underway last Thursday and a host of players across various teams have come equipped with bright pink boots on their feet.

Players and Teams Wearing Pink Boots at 2026 World Cup

Daniel Becerril via Reuters

Take South Korea captain Son Heung-min, for example. The Tottenham legend, who now plies his trade with Los Angeles FC, was seen wearing a pair of pink football boots during the Group A clash against the Czech Republic.

Some of Son’s South Korea teammates followed suit. There were also many pink boots on display during the Group H clash between Saudi Arabia and Uruguay on Monday night, and during Iran’s opening game against New Zealand – a game that made headlines for the crowd’s reaction to Iran’s national anthem being played at the Los Angeles Stadium.

“People say it’s coincidence but it’s happened way too many times,” Ben Warren, founder of BW Boots UK, which specialises in finding rare and classic football boots and supplies several World Cup players, was quoted as saying by The Athletic.

“Different brands are releasing boots in more or less the same colours. We’ve seen boots looking quite similar in the last few years, but this World Cup is pretty much the exact same colour.”

Indeed, Nike, Adidas, Puma, New Balance and Skechers have all supplied players with variations of bright pink boots at the World Cup.

Why Bright Pink Boots Are so Popular at World Cup

Sam Navarro via Reuters

Odinga Nimako, a senior figure at Nike’s global football footwear team, has told The Athletic that high demand for bolder colours led to the company going for pink at this summer’s World Cup finals.

“What we’ve been hearing consistently from the athlete and the consumer, especially when it comes to big moments, is that bright colours give them confidence, so that was really our starting point,” Nimako said.

“What we always hear from our consumers and athletes is when you wear a colour like pink that is so loud and so bright it is like… you need to be really good to wear these (colours) as well. At the same time, there’s also been a level of acceptance with pink that makes it not too niche for people, it speaks to a broad audience.”

Trials on the pitch showed Nike that nothing stood out more than pink. Nimako continued:

“That is definitely something that we looked at. For this (World Cup) moment we really wanted to focus on that visual impact.”

He added: “Our intent was really to make sure that the boot stood out against the kit.

“In every tournament we can take a slightly different approach. We’ve seen approaches in the past where we actually want to be a little bit more integrated. At this tournament, knowing the magnitude, we really wanted to make it pop.”

The Athletic also claim that shoe companies discovered players associate bright colours with confidence, offering another explanation as to why bright pink is all the rage this summer.

Moreover, global trend agencies predicted the colour ‘Electric Fuchsia’ would be the ‘it’ colour of summer back in 2024, when designers began to play their 2026 World Cup lines, according to UniLad.

Product developers found that nothing ‘pops’ more vividly on televisions and smartphones than bright pink footwear – making the players’ boots and brand logos instantly recognisable from a distance.