Taremi: USA has politicized World Cup

Pars Today - The striker of Iran's national football team has said that in the upcoming World Cup, the host has not acted like in previous editions, and we are experiencing a very tense atmosphere.

According to Pars Today, citing IRIB News Agency, Mehdi Taremi, the striker of Iran's national team, stated in an interview with ESPN: "The actions of the US government in denying some visa requests and preventing the entry of a Somali referee have damaged that country's reputation and have created 'a lot of tension' in the atmosphere of the 2026 World Cup."

Taremi said: "In the three previous World Cups I participated in, whenever we entered the host country, we felt a sense of camaraderie and the global nature of football. But unfortunately, I don't feel that now."

He added: "Right now, there is a lot of tension in this World Cup, and the atmosphere of the Cup is political."