Team Melli arrived home unbeaten after a campaign overshadowed by US travel restrictions
Iran’s national football team has returned home to a hero’s welcome after being knocked out of the World Cup without losing a single match despite immense political pressure and logistical challenges fueled by US visa restrictions.
Hundreds of supporters gathered at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport on Wednesday, waving flags, chanting players’ names, and applauding the squad as it came back from one of the most politically charged campaigns in tournament history.
Team Melli finished third in Group G after it drew 2-2 with New Zealand in its opening match, followed by a goalless draw against Belgium and a 1-1 draw with Egypt in its final group game.
Iran came close to reaching the knockout stage for the first time, but a late goal against Egypt was ruled out for offside. The team’s hopes then ended when Austria scored a stoppage-time equalizer against Algeria in Group J.
Defender Ramin Rezaeian apologized to supporters after the exit, adding that “we deserved to advance to the knockout stage, but they made things difficult for us.”
Iran’s campaign was disrupted before it began. The US-Israeli war against Tehran initially cast doubt over whether the team would participate at all. Then, the squad was forced to relocate its base from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico over US visa restrictions.
As a result, Iranian players and staff were allowed into the US only one day before matches and had to leave immediately afterward while several officials and support staff were also reportedly denied visas.
The Iranian Football Federation filed complaints with FIFA over the restrictions, arguing they put the team at a competitive disadvantage. The US eventually eased the travel restrictions before Iran’s final game against Egypt, allowing the squad to arrive two days in advance of the match.
Captain Mehdi Taremi called the tournament a “disaster World Cup,” while head coach Amir Ghalenoei described Iran as “the most oppressed” team at the event.
Following Iran’s exit, US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said he was “so happy” the team had been eliminated and joked that he had danced a “happy dance” after the squad left US soil.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the remarks showed the US was not fit to organize an international tournament.
At the airport, officials also denounced the treatment of the team, with football federation spokesman Amir Mehdi Alavi stating the US had “proved itself incapable of hosting,” citing travel restrictions, match conditions, and player facilities.
