Iran’s national football team head coach Amir Ghalenoei made a striking claim during the 2026 FIFA World Cup: his squad is the “most oppressed team in World Cup history.” The statement came after Iran’s match against New Zealand, delivered directly to FIFA President Gianni Infantino during a locker room visit.

Ghalenoei’s comments were pointed. Speaking to Infantino in the locker room after the New Zealand match, he said: “From a humanitarian perspective, we were the most oppressed team in World Cup history. Because of the conditions they created, and this is a great injustice. We are here thanks to the efforts of the president.”

The “conditions” he referenced are not abstract. Iran’s team…