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Iran's Football Federation (FFIRI) has submitted a formal grievance to FIFA regarding the travel and logistical restrictions imposed on its players throughout this summer's World Cup.
Iran is permitted to enter the United States only one day prior to each match and must depart immediately after the final whistle, while several staff members were refused visas and the team's ticket allocation for the group stage was withdrawn just days before the tournament began.
Team officials had already voiced their concerns publicly, calling on FIFA for greater support, but the FFIRI has now taken the matter further by filing an official complaint.
"The football federation of Iran believes that such [travel] restrictions are inconsistent with the principle of providing equal conditions for all participating teams and may negatively affect teams' preparation processes," a statement read.
"Consequently, the federation will formally express its dissatisfaction and lodge an official complaint with FIFA through the appropriate channels.
"Despite these limitations, Iran's national team will continue its preparation programme and remain fully focused on its upcoming match against Belgium."
How Lack of Preparation Impacts Iran
Against the ongoing tensions stemming from the conflict in the Middle East, Iran's World Cup campaign has been mired in controversy for months, with early doubts surrounding whether the squad would even be granted entry into the United States to participate.
Authorities ultimately decided to restrict Iran's time on American soil, requiring players to arrive the day before each fixture and depart immediately once the match concludes.
This constraint has proven especially problematic ahead of Iran's second group stage match against Belgium in Los Angeles on Sunday. With kickoff scheduled for 12 p.m. PT, the squad is set to fly in on Saturday, leaving them fewer than 24 hours in L.A. to get ready for the game.
"Given that the game will be played at 12 p.m. local time in Los Angeles, the Football Federation of Iran requested that the team be allowed to travel to Los Angeles two days before the match," the FFIRI continued.
"The aim was to provide sufficient time for players to adapt to the match conditions, complete their final training session and finalize preparations.
"Despite the technical reasons presented by the federation, the request was once again denied."
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House's FIFA Task Force, told CBS News: "The team will be allowed to come in, match day minus one, so the day before the match.
"They'll be asked to leave the day that the match wraps up, so the evening of the match. And they'll be able to do that again in Los Angeles."