Tehran, July 2, 2026: Iran’s World Cup squad returned home to an emotional and enthusiastic welcome at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport on Wednesday, receiving a far warmer welcome than the one they had experienced upon arrival in the United States for their group-stage matches.
Hundreds of supporters, including children, parents and devoted football fans, gathered at the airport chanting “Iran, Iran” as they welcomed back Team Melli, who narrowly missed out on reaching the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup for the first time in the country’s history.
Waving Iranian flags, wearing national-colour bracelets and donning team jerseys, fans cheered the squad despite the disappointment of their early exit. Iran finished third in their group after drawing all three matches, but failed to progress as one of the eight best third-placed teams because of an inferior goal difference.
The atmosphere intensified when the team’s flight from Turkiye — where the squad had travelled after leaving its base in Mexico — landed in Tehran. As the players disembarked, they were greeted by musicians in military uniform playing the national anthem.
Goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, who earned widespread praise for his performance in Iran’s goalless draw against Belgium, was among the players most warmly received by fans. Addressing supporters at the airport, Beiranvand apologised for the team’s failure to qualify for the knockout round.
“We apologise to you for not qualifying and for not being able to bring you happiness,” he said.
Defender Ramin Rezaeian also spoke to supporters and suggested that travel restrictions and visa issues had hampered the team’s campaign.
“We deserved to go further, but they really made the task more complicated for us,” he said.
Many supporters echoed that sentiment. Mona Banisafa, a 42-year-old fan who came to welcome the team, said the players had given their all and deserved appreciation despite the outcome.
“The national team players tried their best, but it didn’t work out. We came to thank them,” she said. “If the conditions had been a little better, they would definitely have achieved a better result.”
Iran’s campaign ended in heartbreak after a dramatic final round of group-stage matches. The team briefly thought it had secured a late winner against Egypt — a result that would have guaranteed automatic qualification — but celebrations were cut short after VAR ruled the goal offside.
Finishing third in the group meant Iran had to wait to see if it could qualify as one of the best third-placed teams. Hopes were briefly revived when Algeria took a late lead against Austria in another group match, but Austria equalised deep into stoppage time, ending Iran’s hopes. Senegal ultimately claimed the eighth and final knockout berth on goal difference.
Iran’s World Cup campaign was overshadowed from the outset by the ongoing war involving Iran, the United States and Israel. The team had to move its base camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, after visas were denied to around a dozen staff members.
Although Iran played all of its matches in the United States, officials and players voiced frustration over travel restrictions imposed by American authorities, including limits on early arrival ahead of games. The team was reportedly allowed to enter the US two days before its final match against Egypt, but was required to return to Mexico immediately afterwards.
Among the fans at the airport was 19-year-old student Nima Naseri, who described the team as “deeply loved” but said Iran’s football deserved more.
“They were relatively good, but our football deserves better,” he said. “We deserve to top the group. The conditions played their part, but we could also have benefited from younger players.”
