Heartbroken Iran exit World Cup amid silver lining of Mexican hospitality
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Heartbroken Iran exit World Cup amid silver lining of Mexican hospitality
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xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoBy Anushe EngineerPublished On 30 Jun 202630 Jun 2026Iran’s bittersweet, logistically complicated, politically charged, and heartbreaking World Cup run found a silver lining in Mexico, where the men’s football team departed their base camp in Tijuana to a warm goodbye from fans in the border city.
Iran were eliminated from the World Cup on Saturday, after Austria’s last-gasp equaliser against Algeria saw them drop out of the tournament’s eight best third-placed teams. It capped a dramatic 24 hours for Iran, who lost control of their fate for the knockout stage following a 1-1 draw with Egypt on Friday, which ended dramatically with an apparent last-ditch Iranian winner controversially ruled offside following a VAR check. The United States and Israel’s war on Iran dictated the logistics for Team Melli’s presence at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Iran shifted their base camp from Arizona to Tijuana not long before the tournament began, fearing visa complications. In rarely-seen stringent logistical conditions, the team was forced to depart for Mexico mere hours after the full-time whistle of their matches in the US, despite repeated requests from the Iranians to relocate their fixtures out of the country engaged in an active war against them. But from the moment Iran first touched down in Tijuana, Mexico welcomed the team with open arms.
Fans thronged the perimeter of the team’s hotel before and after their travels for each group stage match, holding posters and waiting for autographs from players. The mutual love and respect that developed over three weeks made its way to social media and a global online audience that backed Team Melli through their off-pitch hardships. It was also on social media that the team’s media department thanked the people of Mexico for their hospitality.
“Thank you for your professionalism, your support, and for covering not only our team’s sporting journey but also the unfair and unsportsmanlike treatment our delegation faced during its stay,” a message on X, posted by the Embassy of Iran in Mexico, read.
How 📺 BBC Newsround Covers It
Published29 June 2026Have you ever lost, broken or dropped anything while celebrating? We are asking for your stories after a clip of a fan losing their phone during a World Cup celebration went viral. Whether your team has scored a goal or you won a prize, has a celebration ever ended in disaster?
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