INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Coach Amir Ghalenoei of Iran praised his team for delivering a “beautiful game” despite facing “the worst possible conditions” during their 0-0 draw against Belgium at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.
Ghalenoei cited multiple challenges that hindered the team’s performance, such as limited travel windows, visa complications for entering the United States and Mexico, little time for team preparation ahead of the tournament, and facing a top-tier opponent in Belgium, currently ranked 10th by FIFA.
“We entered the World Cup under extremely difficult conditions,” Ghalenoei expressed to reporters following the Group G match, which left Iran with two points from two games. “Yet, we managed to achieve a result against a fantastic team and an excellent coach.”
“We played a beautiful game.”
Iran’s travel from their base in Tijuana, Mexico, has encountered restrictions, and they arrived in the U.S. on Saturday night, played on Sunday, and were scheduled to return to Mexico later that evening.
“We have had two excellent games without a loss,” Ghalenoei remarked, referring to their opening 2-2 draw with New Zealand. “Tonight, we celebrate. Tomorrow, we shift our focus to Egypt, a very strong team.”
“We need to recover, and then we have to fly back. Unfortunately, we don’t even have enough time to recuperate. Tomorrow, we will review today’s performance and prepare for the matchup against Egypt.”
“At this point, recovery is crucial,” he added. “With 16 hours of travel, two flights, and a physically demanding game, it’s a lot to handle. Our players have given it their all, and recovery is our immediate priority.”
Winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh, who plays in Belgium and came on as a substitute at halftime, noted that Iran’s team wanted to ensure their entire support staff could accompany them and that they had time to adjust to new locations.
“This is just a matter of fairness,” Jahanbakhsh stated. “I believe all teams deserve this consideration, and we’re not asking for too much.”
“On the other hand, our culture teaches us to perform better in tough situations. I think this challenge united us further, and we demonstrated great character today, much of which stems from our circumstances.”
Iran’s final match will be against Egypt on Friday at Lumen Field in Seattle, with the goal of progressing to the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in the country’s history.
“For the next game, we hope to arrive a bit earlier,” Jahanbakhsh mentioned. “Seattle is a different city, further from our base in Tijuana.”
Both Ghalenoei and Jahanbakhsh highlighted the performance of goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand for his crucial saves that helped secure a valuable point for Iran.
Beiranvand made several significant stops during the game, including one pivotal save midway through the second half after a cross from Kevin De Bruyne rolled dangerously across the Iran goal, which Beiranvand successfully cleared.
“He is one of the greatest goalkeepers in Iranian football history, and today he had one of his finest performances,” Ghalenoei acknowledged. “His focus was spot on, and he played a key role in helping us earn that crucial point.”
For the second consecutive game, Iran played in a packed stadium, with an official attendance of 70,317 on Sunday. Despite a strong presence from Belgian fans, Iran was buoyed by a passionate contingent of supporters throughout the match.
This report includes contributions from ESPN’s Beth Lindop.