Iran's ‘disaster World Cup’ comes to a dramatic end
Iran's players thought they had survived twice.
First, a stoppage-time goal against Egypt on Friday was ruled out. Then, on Saturday night, they believed Algeria's late goal had sent them into the knockout rounds — until Austria equalized with virtually the final touch of the match, eliminating Iran instead.
The cruel margins of the World Cup brought an end not only to Iran's World Cup campaign but also to the competition's most politically fraught storylines.
After months of wrangling over visas, cross-border travel and security arrangements while a host country and a participant were at war, Iran's exit closes a chapter that tested whether one of the tournament's earliest qualifiers could compete at all.
Throughout the competition, the Iranian team navigated restrictions that no other contender faced. The U.S. State Department did not extend visas to Iran’s full delegation, including government officials and support staff, and placed onerous restrictions on the team’s travel across U.S. borders that limited both their training routines and post-match physical recovery.
“Despite these difficulties, the Iranian team has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to stay focused and perform at the highest level, even under adverse circumstances,” Abolfazl Pasandideh, Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, told POLITICO. “The professionalism shown by the players and coaching staff in the face of these challenges has been paramount, and the results achieved clearly reflect that reality.”
Travel arrangements for Iran’s team — which operates under the oversight of Tehran’s regime — have bedeviled the U.S. government ever since President Donald Trump signed an executive order last June that included the country — among the first to qualify for the World Cup — on a list of 11 whose citizens were subject to restrictive bans on entry to the United States. A provision of the executive order created an exception for those competing in the World Cup, among other major sporting events in the U.S.
