The Iranian national football team returned to Tehran after a disappointing performance at the World Cup in the United States. On Wednesday, the team was greeted with intense displays of affection at Mehrabad Airport by hundreds of children, families and loyal fans chanting 'Iran, Iran!'
Some fans waved Iranian flags, while others wore bracelets in national colors or donned 'Team Melli' jerseys. The enthusiasm peaked when the arrival of the plane, which came via Turkey from the camp in Mexico, was announced. Musicians in military uniforms accompanied the welcome by playing the national anthem as the players descended from the plane.
Goalkeeper Biranvand apologizes
Goalkeeper Alireza Biranvand, who turned into a national hero with his performance in the goalless draw against Belgium, addressed the fans: 'We apologize for not advancing and not bringing you happiness.' His teammate, defender Ramin Rezaeian, echoed the widespread complaint that without US immigration restrictions, they would have made history.
Rezaeian said, 'We deserved to go further, but they really made our job much more complicated.' Mona Benisafa, a 42-year-old fan greeting the team at the airport, shared this view, saying: 'The national team players did their best, but it didn't happen. We came to thank them. If conditions had been a little better, they would definitely have achieved a better result.'
The story of a dramatic elimination
Iran experienced an emotional rollercoaster in the final part of the group stage. A late goal against Egypt and the joy of automatic advancement were cut short when a VAR review ruled offside. Iran, finishing third in the group, had to wait to see if it would be among the best eight third-placed teams to advance to the knockout stage for the first time in its history.
In Group J, Iran's hopes rose when Algeria took the lead in stoppage time against Austria, but were dashed when Austria equalized in the sixth minute of added time. Senegal, with a goal difference of +2, took the eighth and final spot ahead of Iran, whose goal difference was 0.
Fans and team blame US
Iran's tournament began under the shadow of the ongoing war between the country and the US and Israel. After about a dozen staff members were denied US visas, the team had to move its World Cup training base from Tucson, Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico. Iran, which still played its matches in the US, complained about travel restrictions imposed by American officials.
These restrictions included not being allowed to enter the US until two days before matches. Although permission was granted before the Egypt match, the team had to return to Mexico immediately after the match. Nima Nasiri, a 19-year-old student speaking at the airport, said the team was 'truly very loved' but also expressed reservations about the result: 'They were relatively good, but our football deserves better... We deserve to top the group and advance. Conditions certainly played a role, but we could have benefited from younger players.'
