On June 21, after leading his team to a draw with Belgium, Iran coach Carlos Queiroz gave an interview.
"Does this draw feel like a missed opportunity? After all, if Iran had beaten Belgium, they would have secured early qualification from the group stage. Or do you think this is already an achievement? After all, this is the first time in Iran's history that they have remained undefeated in their first two group stage matches at the FIFA World Cup."
Before I answer your question, I want to go back six months.
For the past six months, we have been operating in a wartime environment. The domestic league was suspended, and I remember that during an international break, we even spent 40 consecutive hours on a bus to another country just to play an international match. Everyone knows the domestic league could not proceed normally because of the war. As for the visa issues and the difficulties we experienced in getting to the US to compete, the whole world has seen them.
In our squad, some players maintained their match fitness in overseas leagues, while others playing in the domestic league had gone a long time without official matches due to the war. For the past six months, we have been preparing for the FIFA World Cup under these circumstances. Furthermore, many teams originally scheduled to play warm-up matches against us ultimately canceled.
I believe we came to the FIFA World Cup under the most difficult circumstances. I hope the whole world can understand that.
In response to your question, I think it was a very exciting match. Our opponent is a team ranked in the top ten globally. Despite these challenges, facing Belgium—a team with world-class players and a world-class coach—we still played at a high level.
Based on the flow of the game, both sides had chances to win.
I want to thank every one of my players, especially Alireza Beiranvand. Today, he delivered an excellent performance. In fact, all players who can stand on the FIFA World Cup stage under such circumstances deserve everyone’s respect and praise.
Not only did we score, but we also created two excellent scoring opportunities, both of which Thibaut Courtois saved incredibly well.
Overall, although we had a chance to win, remaining undefeated in two consecutive FIFA World Cup matches under these conditions is an remarkable achievement in itself.
Think about it: we had to play a match less than 16 hours after arriving at the venue. Achieving this is a great moment in Iranian football history. When people look back on this in the future, they will certainly remember the contributions and sacrifices this group of players made for their country.
Of course, as you mentioned, we also wanted to win. All our substitutions were attacking-minded. Especially when the opponent was down to ten men, we were always hoping to secure all three points. Unfortunately, however, our substitutions did not have the desired effect. In some ways, we were even relieved not to lose against their ten men.
How much did the long flight from Seattle to the team's base affect the team?
These flights certainly affect the team, but the root of the problem is that we received our visas too late.
Due to visa delays, we were unable to complete our planned acclimatization training and pre-match preparations. More troublingly, our training camp arrangements were changed twice without prior notice.
We initially selected one training base, only to be told that we could not use it. We then chose a second base, but just a few days before the FIFA World Cup began, we were informed that we could not use that one either.
Finally, we were sent to Tijuana. These were not decisions we could make ourselves.
Long flights certainly affect the team's technical and tactical preparation, as well as physical recovery. However, I want to thank the people of Mexico, the Mexican government, the city of Tijuana, and the Tijuana club for providing us with substantial support.
But from a competitive standpoint, such frequent back-and-forth flights and travel do have an impact on the team.
Regarding goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand
Alireza Beiranvand is one of the most successful goalkeepers in Iranian football history, having won numerous championships.
He is an extremely intelligent and experienced goalkeeper, and today was one of his best performances.
I want to thank him, and I also want to thank all the players. Today, he maintained exceptional focus and earned a valuable point for the team.
Of course, we also had the opportunity to take all three points. But overall, I believe both the fans watching live and the television viewers enjoyed an exciting match.
I would also like to especially thank all the Iranian supporters who came to support us. Regardless of their different views and beliefs, they came here today to cheer for Iran and give strength to the national team. I sincerely thank them for this.
Will the Iranian team now start thinking about the knockout stage?
First, I think we have already achieved something very significant.
As I mentioned earlier, during the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, we were unable to play many matches at home. Later, war broke out, and we faced many difficulties.
Under these circumstances, it is already extremely challenging for us to come to the FIFA World Cup and play two consecutive high-level matches.
I believe we have confounded many people's initial expectations and assessments of our team.
However, our celebration can only last until tomorrow. From tomorrow, we must focus all our attention on Egypt.
Egypt are a very strong team, with organized football and a clear tactical system.
Our primary objective remains to advance from the group stage. If we achieve this goal, we will then plan for the subsequent matches.
Please discuss the group situation and how you will prepare for the match against Egypt.
First, we need to rest.
Because right after the match, we have to catch another flight. To be honest, this has become unbearable.
We arrived here less than 16 hours ago, and now we must fly back immediately. I recall that we have to depart again around 4 AM. This means the players do not even have sufficient time to recover properly.
Under normal circumstances, we would stay here overnight to allow the players to recover and prepare for the next match. But now we have to go directly to the airport to return to Tijuana.
Tomorrow, we will review the match footage together, analyze today's performance, and also study the Egypt versus New Zealand match. We will then develop a specific tactical plan for Egypt. Like Belgium, they have many high-quality players.
At this moment, however, what we need most is physical recovery.
Consider this: 16 hours of travel, two long flights, and such an intense match.
I do not think any team in the world can sustain such an arrangement for long while maintaining this level of play. For us, this experience has been truly difficult. But our players have been dedicated, resilient, and have played with their hearts.
People in the future will definitely remember this group of players and their contributions to Iranian football."
Congratulations on earning a point against Belgium. I want to ask: were you pleased when you saw that Doku was not in the starting lineup? Also, if one team had to win today, do you think it should have been Iran?
Doku is a very good player, but the player who replaced him is also very strong. For this match, we devised a very clear tactical plan.
We set up a two-layer defensive system with a five-man defense. Our goal was to stabilize the match early and then look for scoring opportunities through quick counter-attacks. We knew we could pose a threat from set pieces and rapid transitions, and the match proved us right. In fact, we scored, but unfortunately Mehdi Taremi was offside by less than 30 centimeters.
I believe our game plan was largely successful. Belgium are a great team, a strong side ranked around the top ten globally. Considering all the difficulties we have faced, I think the Iranian team achieved something very significant today.
But as I mentioned, both sides had chances to win. We had an opportunity to take all three points, and so did they. In fact, based on the number of chances created, Belgium perhaps had a slightly higher probability of taking all three points.