One of the most politically charged odysseys in recent sports history ended late Saturday with Iran’s last-gasp elimination from the World Cup.
Iran was the first participant in the tournament’s history to be at war with a host nation. Its elimination, based on the result of a match it didn’t play, capped months of uncertainty, recrimination and protest that had marked its World Cup journey.
First there was the question of whether Iran would participate at all. After the United States and Israel attacked Iran in late February, there were mixed messages about that from both Tehran and Washington.
The team spent weeks in southern Turkey after Iran’s domestic soccer league was suspended following the outbreak of war. There was confusion over whether the Iranian team would be allowed into the United States, where its three first-round games were scheduled to be played — and where it had expected to have its base camp.
Then there was the team’s experience in the tournament, where its games were played in atmospheres the likes of which had rarely if ever been seen at a World Cup.
In its two games in Los Angeles, huge numbers of the city’s large Iranian diaspora made each occasion feel like a home game for the team, but also a moment to protest the government in Tehran. The Iranian national anthem was loudly booed. Fans wore symbols of opposition such as flags and T-shirts featuring emblems of the state before the 1979 Islamic revolution — even as they wildly cheered the team on.
There was a similar backdrop to Iran’s last game, in Seattle, on Friday.
All three games ended in draws.
The journey was also fraught in part because the United States placed restrictions on how long the team could stay in the country. In the end it had to set up a base camp in Tijuana, close to the U.S.-Mexico border, and some of its officials and support staff had their American visa applications rejected.
One upside was that the team became hugely popular in Mexico — where they received visits from top politicians and words of encouragement from its president — and in particular Tijuana, their temporary home. Crowds of well wishers, including mariachi bands, arrived daily to cheer on Iranian players traveling to their training facility.
The team spent Saturday in Tijuana watching the final group stage games. After the results were in — a last-second goal led to 3-3 tie between Austria and Algeria that knocked Iran out of competition — the Iranian soccer federation issued a statement that captured the team’s split-screen experience in North America.
The federation repeated longstanding criticism of its treatment by the United States, labeling it as “unfair and unsportsmanlike.” That sentiment was echoed in social media posts early Sunday by Iranian fans.
The federation also praised Mexico.
“You welcomed us with generosity and genuine hospitality, making us feel at home,” it said. “We will always be grateful to the great and generous people of Mexico, as well as to the government of Mexico, for their hospitality and respect.”
Iran’s elimination ends what has been one of the biggest World Cup-related complications for soccer’s governing body, FIFA. The organization has been trying to maintain good relations with the U.S. government — its president, Gianni Infantino, has often described himself as friend of President Trump — while adhering to its promises of fair competition for Iran.
Iran’s captain, Mehdi Taremi, turned the spotlight on FIFA and Mr. Infantino after what turned out to be the team’s last game, a 1-1 tie with Egypt.
“It’s a disaster World Cup; a disaster,” Mr. Taremi told reporters on Friday. “FIFA, they have to solve every problem here but unfortunately they could not solve it since the beginning.”
FIFA did not respond to that criticism.
Farnaz Fassihi contributed reporting.
