The Iran national football team is scheduled to land in Tehran on Wednesday afternoon, ending a World Cup campaign defined not only by their narrow elimination but by the relentless logistical hurdles imposed by the United States.
The squad touched down at Mehrabad Airport at 3.30pm local time (1pm UK) after being knocked out of the 2026 tournament without losing a single group game. Manager Amir Ghalenoei’s side drew with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand but missed the round of 32 as one of the eight best third‑placed teams on goal difference. In their final match against Egypt, defender Shojae Khalilzadeh thought he had scored a late winner that would have sent Iran through, only for the goal to be ruled out.
“Iran's World Cup team returns to Tehran after being forced to leave US immediately following each match.”
Yet it was off‑pitch events that overshadowed their campaign. The team’s training base was initially set to be in Tucson, Arizona, before being relocated to Tijuana, Mexico, shortly before the tournament. All three of Iran’s group games were hosted on US soil, meaning the squad had to cross the border repeatedly — and were forced to leave the country immediately after each match. Eleven members of Iran’s delegation were also denied US visas.
“They didn’t even give us time to recover,” Ghalenoei said after Iran’s opening game against New Zealand. “After the game today, they said to us, ‘You have to leave immediately.’ It’s very important for us to have time for recovery, but we are asked to get on a plane and return to our camp in Tijuana, and we are really troubled by that. They delayed our arrivals, and they are forcing us to go back early without time for recovery. They are making the situation more and more difficult, facing us with more hurdles, but we’re not going to let that stop us from doing our best.”
For their final draw with Egypt, Iran were granted an extra day’s preparation in the US, but it was not enough to secure a knockout spot. Following elimination, United States Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin boasted about denying visas to members of the Iranian delegation, a move that underlined the political tensions that shadowed the team’s every movement.
The Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran confirmed the team’s arrival time at Mehrabad, bringing an end to a campaign in which the players overcame obstacles far beyond the pitch.