Iran’s problems did not end after the team was knocked out of the World Cup. Early on Saturday morning, the players returned to their base camp in Tijuana at around 4 a.m. In a video posted by the President of the Partido Movimiento de Acción Vecinal, Martin Dandach, on X, it was pretty clear that players were tired from the travel.

“Iran’s national team was forced to return to Mexico after the match against Egypt,” Dandach said on X. “They weren’t allowed to stay in the United States. This is the moment they arrived in Tijuana at 4:00 am. Absolutely shameful.”

Iran faced problems even before the 2026 FIFA World Cup started because of geopolitical conflicts with the United States and Israel. That resulted in the move of their training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, after about 12 staff members were denied U.S. visas. Even though Iran played all of its group-stage matches in the United States, the team had to deal with strict travel rules.

Iranian officials were unhappy because U.S. authorities did not allow the team to arrive in the United States two days before most of its matches. The team received permission to arrive early only before its final group-stage match against Egypt. After that match, however, Iran had to return to Tijuana in Mexico immediately instead of staying and resting in the United States.

Iran did not lose a single match during the group stage, but the team also did not win any either. Iran drew against New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt, finishing with three points from three matches. Because of those results, the team finished third in Group G and missed a place in the knockout stage by a goal difference of two.

Iran’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage stayed alive until the final moments of the group stage. Algeria took a 3-2 lead over Austria in stoppage time. If that score had stayed the same, Iran would have qualified for the Round of 32. However, Austria scored a dramatic equalizer with almost the last kick of the match. The late goal changed the final Group G standings and knocked Iran out of the tournament by the smallest possible margin.

This affected them the most. But what made them an inspiration was their solid gameplay; despite travel restrictions and distractions, the team stayed calm and played their game. Their coach, Amir Ghalenoei, was unhappy about the treatment the US gave to them, but in the end, they proved their worth.

“The host country treated us very unfairly.” Amir Ghalenoei said. “Had the host nation allowed us ⁠to arrive two weeks earlier, to be more prepared… we would have been in better shape, physically and mentally. However, they deprived us of that justice.”

Iran gets massive support from Egypt’s coach

Before Iran’s final Group G match against Egypt in Seattle, Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan voiced his support for Iran. During his pre-match press conference, he said that every team in the World Cup should be treated fairly and equally. He believed all teams deserved the same respect and fair treatment throughout the tournament.

“Respect and fair play mean everyone should respect everyone for there to be fairness between everyone. That’s why I wish luck to all of us,” Hassan said. “The Iranian team is one of the teams I respect very much.”

Although Hossam Hassan did not directly criticize the United States, his comments clearly looked like support for Iran because the team had faced travel restrictions and a difficult schedule during the World Cup. Iran had to travel from Mexico to the United States for every group-stage match, which made preparation and recovery harder.

This win could have put Team Melli into the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in Iran’s history. But the irony is that things didn’t work out in their favor. From travel issues to countries’ tense situations, the team had to take the hit. But even then, they ended on a high note, leaving a message for Tijuana to welcome them.

Now, this marks the end of their beautiful FIFA World Cup journey this year.