Iran and FIFA officials declined to answer questions about the political and social implications of Friday's World Cup match against Egypt in Seattle, which has been designated a 'Pride Match.' During a pre-match press conference on Thursday, FIFA's executive director of public relations, Daniel Marin, read a statement on behalf of the Iran Football Federation, requesting that media questions be limited strictly to the game.
FIFA Restricts Media Questions to Football Only
“This Islamic Republic of the Iran Football Federation has asked us to inform the media that they are only willing to answer questions in relation to the game,” Marin said. “We fully respect the right of all journalists to ask questions. In this case, we ask you respect the rights of the federation here today to only answer questions in relation to the team, the tactics, the match, and so on.” Despite the request, reporters continued to press coach Amir Ghalenoei and goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand on the Pride Match theme and potential protests.
Ghalenoei: 'We Are Here to Play Football'
Ghalenoei remained steadfast, responding in Persian: “I said to you earlier we are here to play football. For nothing else. Our entire focus is going to be on tomorrow’s game, on succeeding in tomorrow’s game. And, anything else that is banned ... we don’t want to speak about it. We are only going to speak about football, what a beautiful game it is, and how enjoyable it’s going to be.” The match carries high stakes: a win would send Iran to the knockout stage for the first time in its World Cup history.
Iran Faces Travel Restrictions and Logistical Hurdles
Iran's World Cup campaign has been plagued by off-field complications. The team faced travel restrictions imposed by the US Department of Homeland Security due to the war in Iran. In March, Iran sought to relocate its group-stage matches to Mexico, a country with which it has diplomatic ties. The request to move its base camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana was granted only two weeks before the team's arrival. Several team officials and support staff were barred from entering the US. For the first two matches near Los Angeles, the team was not permitted to travel until the day before the game. The US later eased restrictions, allowing the squad to travel to Seattle two days before Friday’s match, which Ghalenoei said improved the team’s fitness.
Ghalenoei Criticizes Earlier Travel Restrictions
“This was a right that we should have had in the two previous games,” Ghalenoei said. “They deprived us of the right to arrive in time. ... What they did for us this time, they didn’t do for the two previous games.” He commended FIFA President Gianni Infantino for doing the “utmost” to “minimize the challenges” Iran has faced.
Egypt Leads Group G; Iran Focuses on Pitch
Egypt currently tops Group G, and Iran faces a tough test. Ghalenoei emphasized total concentration: “We are not going to think about what is going on outside of the pitch, because the game is going to be so arduous. It is going to be so exciting that we are going to have our total focus on that. We are representatives of our great Iranian nation and great Iranian country, and football only. We are only focused on football, and nothing else.”
