British pundit Gary Lineker has accused the US of “unfair” treatment of one of its 2026 World Cup players being forced to leave the country immediately after the match.
Gary Lineker criticized the US for its treatment of the Iranian soccer team in the 2026 World Cup (Image: Bloomberg, via Bloomberg, Getty Images)
World Cup pundit Gary Lineker has launched a scathing attack on the United States over its shocking treatment of the Iranian national team. His accusations come after Iran was forced to leave the country immediately after their World Cup opener against New Zealand.
Coach Amir Galenoei’s team drew 2-2 with the All Whites before being ordered to leave the United States and return to their training headquarters in Mexico. That is the case even though the Group G contenders do not have a single match scheduled on Mexican soil.
Continued hostility between the two countries is well documented, with the conflict escalating following US-backed Israeli airstrikes that began in February. Although Iran qualified for the World Cup like other countries, Lineker believes Iran’s response this summer paints a dire picture for the co-hosts.
“I think they have been treated very unfairly,” Lineker said in an interview with Sky News. “I’ve covered a lot of World Cups since 1986, both in games and broadcast, but I don’t remember ever being in a tournament where the host country was at war with one of the participating countries. So it was a first for me.”
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Appearing on ITV’s World Cup coverage, Lineker then referred to recent negotiations between the United States and Iran that led to a tentative “peace deal” aimed at easing tensions. And the BBC icon suggested it could have provided solid grounds for giving Iran a little more leeway regarding their World Cup commitments.
“I hope the peace agreement holds,” he added. “And maybe because of the peace deal, it might be a good move to allow Iran to stay in the country where the soccer matches are being played.
“So I think they’ve been treated unfairly. But they showed great spirit on the pitch and that’s important for them.”
Iranian coach Galenoei described his team as “the most suppressed team in the entire World Cup” following the stalemate with New Zealand. And it’s hard to argue otherwise, considering he changed his practice base from Arizona to Mexico on the eve of the tournament.
The Iranian Football Federation has indicated that it intends to lodge a formal complaint with FIFA over the treatment they received.
“It is not fair that all the teams participating in the World Cup are in the host city for only 24 hours,” said Hedayat Mombeini, head of Iran’s football secretary general. “All these restrictions have been placed on us and it has a negative impact on our physical and mental (players’ preparation).”
Iran is scheduled to play Egypt in Seattle on Friday night. A win would secure them a place at the top of Group G, but even a draw could be enough for promotion if the result is equal to or better than the one between Belgium and New Zealand.
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