Iran FM spox praises national football team for defying pressures at World Cup
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman has praised the national football team for its resilience at the 2026 World Cup, saying the players refused to surrender to "inhumane" pressures and kept running until the very end.
Esmail Baghaei, the foreign ministry spokesman, issued a statement on the social media platform X on Saturday, hailing the team's performance at the tournament, where Iran drew all three group stage matches but was ultimately eliminated.
"Bravo to Iran's national football team, which united as one, aimed for the 'goal' and did not allow inhumane and unconventional pressures to stop it from 'running'," Baghaei wrote.
"In days when pressure, narrow-mindedness, discrimination and restrictions made continuing harder than ever, Iran's national football team showed that victory is overcoming the mindset of surrender and despair," he said.
Baghaei added that the team defied the odds with courage and perseverance.
"Limitations did not become an excuse, nor did pressures lead to surrender. They took risks, they ran, and until the very last moment, they kept hope and affection alive on the green pitch with their Iranian character and conduct," he said.
The spokesman emphasized that the team's true gift to the nation went beyond the final score.
"Perhaps more important than the result was what they gave us these days: passion, excitement, smiles, and above all, the important but profound reminder that there is an unshakable common ground for all of us, which we hold dear with all our being: a gem called homeland – 'Iran'," Baghaei concluded.
A politically charged tournament
Iran's World Cup campaign was overshadowed by political tensions and logistical hurdles.
The team was forced to relocate its training base from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, after US visa issues affected several federation officials and support staff.
Under the terms of their visas, Iranian players and staff were permitted to enter the United States only one day before a match and were required to leave on the same day as the game.
The team filed complaints with FIFA over the travel restrictions. Despite the challenges, Iran performed admirably on the pitch.
They opened with a 2-2 draw against New Zealand, followed by a 0-0 stalemate against 10-man Belgium, and concluded the group stage with a 1-1 draw against Egypt.
The Iranian team finished third in Group G with three points, undefeated but still eliminated.
According to The New York Times, Iran's departure from the tournament "ends one of the most politically charged odysseys in recent sports history."
The team's elimination came in dramatic fashion, as Austria's stoppage-time equalizer against Algeria sealed Iran's fate.
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