Iran players depart unwelcoming World Cup, jeered by US official but saluted by fans In a World Cup co-hosted by a country waging war on their homeland, the odds were always stacked against Iran’s Team Melli, who narrowly missed out on the knockout stage despite being undefeated. Their players departed North America on Tuesday, mocked by a senior official in the Trump administration but saluted by fans at their replacement base in Mexico’s Tijuana. The Iranian national team left their World Cup base in Mexico on Tuesday following a troubled tournament marked by repeated spats with US officials, flashes of athletic brilliance and, ultimately, disappointment over barely missing out on a historic place in the knockout stage.

The players return to a homeland still in the grips of an unresolved conflict with Israel and the United States. But their fans say they should be proud. “I think even though they lost, it gave people a sense of hope,” said Mohammad Modarres, 38, who traveled from San Diego to bid the team farewell.

After their three group stage matches ended in battling draws, Iran's World Cup future depended on either Algeria or Austria winning their final group match on Saturday – and avoiding a draw. Read moreAlgeria and Austria advance after dramatic draw, knock Iran out of group stage Watching from the lobby of their Tijuana hotel, the team erupted in celebration when Algeria took a 3-2 lead in stoppage time. “I've never seen a room explode like that,” said Kimia Ranjbar, 25, a lifelong fan of Team Melli who had driven down from the Los Angeles area.

But moments later, in the final minute of injury time, Austria tied the game again, leaving the lobby in dismayed silence. It was the last of many disappointments throughout the tournament, including when a late goal by Shoja Khalilzadeh gave Iran the lead in its last match, against Egypt, before being ruled offside. US official's 'happy dance' Distractions abounded off the pitch before and during the tournament, beginning with questions over whether Team Melli would even be allowed to play in light of the US and Israeli war with Iran.

A Trump envoy at one point came up with the extraordinary suggestion that FIFA replace the Iranians with Italy, who had failed to qualify. Iran then relocated their base from Arizona to Mexico but were denied a request to move their matches there too. The US refused to grant visas to key members of the Iranian team's staff and also rejected Iran's request to travel to the US two days before its Los Angeles matches, only relaxing some restrictions for Iran's last match.

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During a World Cup security briefing Monday, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters that the US had made several accommodations for Iran's travel and repeated assertions that many of the people Iran originally requested to travel with the team to the US were associated with Iran's Revolutionary Guard.