Iran World Cup team arrive home TODAY after being forced to leave US immediately after elimination

Iran World Cup team arrive home TODAY after being forced to leave US immediately after elimination The Iran World Cup squad has travelled home after being knocked out of the World Cup 2026 The Iran squad are scheduled to arrive in Tehran on Wednesday after being eliminated from the World Cup. The team headed home after being narrowly knocked out of the tournament, despite not losing a group game. Manager Amir Ghalenoei’s side drew with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand but missed out on a place in the round of 32 as one of the eight best third-placed sides on goal difference. In their final game against Egypt, Iran defender Shojae Khalilzadeh believed he had scored a late winner to send the country through to the knockout rounds, only for the goal to be ruled out. Amid Iran’s conflict with the US, the team had to overcome several obstacles during their admirable World Cup campaign. The squad’s training base was initially set to be in Tucson, Arizona, before being relocated to Tijuana, Mexico, shortly before the tournament. The situation meant Iran had to repeatedly cross the border, as all three of their games were hosted on US soil, but the team were forced to leave the country shortly after each match had ended. Eleven members of Iran’s delegation were also denied US visas. JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook page Iran’s final draw with Egypt, for which the team were granted an extra day’s preparation in the US, meant the side finished with the ninth-best record of third-placed teams, resulting in their elimination. After leaving their base in Mexico, the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran announced that the team would be landing at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport at 3.30pm (1pm UK time) on Wednesday, July 1. Following Iran’s elimination from the tournament, the United States Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin boasted about denying visas for members of their delegation. When discussing the team’s travel issues, Iran boss Ghalenoei previously admitted that Iran had been told to leave the US and return to their Tijuana base immediately after their matches. "They didn’t even give us time to recover," Ghalenoei said after the team's opening game with 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. Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now! "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. That's why I think we are the most oppressed team in the World Cup." Before the country’s elimination was confirmed, Iran captain Mehdi Taremi highlighted how the denial of visas would have impacted the team in later World Cup rounds. "Since the beginning, it's a disaster World Cup," Taremi said. "I mean, FIFA, they have to solve every problem here but unfortunately this they couldn't solve since the beginning. Mr Infantino came to our changing room [after the] first game and he said, 'It's just the beginning'. But [the] group stage finishes tomorrow and we don't have our logistic people here, they don't have a visa. How [is that] possible?" After the team’s final group game, Ghalenoei added: "I know (FIFA president) Mr Infantino has tried his best to minimise the problems as much as possible but it was the host that wasn't very good to us. I urge FIFA to not let the hosts treat teams and players the same way in the future. I hope Mr Infantino will actually stand up to such behaviour." England and Nike have launched the new home, away and goalkeeper kits to be worn at this summer's FIFA World Cup. You can get free delivery on all orders with the code DEAL.