3 min readJun 21, 2026 03:27 PM IST Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei has questioned why the other 47 managers at the 2026 FIFA World Cup have remained silent over his team’s treatment by tournament hosts the United States, saying he would have spoken out had another nation faced similar circumstances. “I ask the other 47 coaches a question, and none of them have responded to me,” Ghalenoei said on Saturday ahead of Iran’s Group G clash with Belgium. “We are here for football, not politics. Our grievances are to the way they’ve behaved with us. I haven’t heard anything from other coaches, and I’m sure they’re busy preparing their own teams. But if I had seen another team being treated the way we are being treated, I would say something.” Ghalenoei also struck an emotional note while thanking supporters back home. “I am very glad that the Iranian nation is behind us,” he said. “Our martyrs in Iran, we play for them.” The coach said travel restrictions and visa refusals had disrupted Iran’s preparations during …