Iran held 10-man Belgium to a goalless draw on Sunday, extending their unbeaten start to the World Cup — a result coach Amir Ghalenoei insists will be remembered for decades given the chaos that has surrounded his squad. The draw followed a stalemate against New Zealand in Group G, leaving Iran with two points and a chance to reach the knockout stage if they beat Egypt in Seattle on Friday.
But the path to that moment has been anything but smooth. Ghalenoei painted a stark picture of the months leading up to the tournament. "I want to go back six months," he said. "We were in war conditions for six months; we didn't have our league operating. Many teams cancelled the games they would play against us. We came to the World Cup in the worst conditions possible."
“Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei says his side's unbeaten World Cup start will be historic given war and travel disruption.”
The disruption has not stopped at the border. Iran are based in Mexico during the tournament and, under the conditions of their visas, must fly to the United States a day before each match and return on the same day as the game. Ghalenoei said he is hopeful of travelling to Seattle earlier for Friday's decisive clash, though the situation remains under review.
Despite the logistical nightmare, the coach praised his players for their resilience. "The players who came to this World Cup in this condition need to be congratulated," he said. "We had the opportunity to win [against Belgium] but I think this is a great achievement. We have had two games at the World Cup with the conditions we had — we had less than 16 hours to do training before the game."
It is not just the travel and training that have been disrupted. Iran's participation itself was uncertain because of the war with tournament co-hosts USA, and preparations were further hampered by opposition teams cancelling friendlies. Yet Ghalenoei believes the team's spirit will echo through Iranian football history. "This will be written in the history of our football and future generations will take about what we have achieved," he added.
A win against Egypt would confirm Iran's place in the knockout rounds — an achievement that would seem improbable given the obstacles. But for Ghalenoei, his squad has already earned its place in the record books.