Iran’s World Cup ended on the cruellest note, and when the players returned to Tehran, the first thought on their minds was to apologize. Team Melli finished third in Group G, having drawn all three of their matches, only to be eliminated when Austria and Algeria played out a 3-3 draw that left Iran outside the tournament’s eight best third-placed sides.

Defender Ramin Rezaeian, who had already broken down in tears after the Egypt draw, addressed the nation directly on the team’s return. “We deserved to advance to the knockout stage, but they made things difficult for us,” he said. “The people of Iran are the most loyal and honorable. We tried to make you happy. If we couldn’t, we apologize.”

The manner of the exit made it sting more. Iran believed they had snatched a stoppage-time winner against Egypt in their final group game, a goal that would have sent them into the knockout rounds for the first time in the nation’s history, before VAR ruled it out for offside. That left their fate in the hands of results elsewhere, and when Algeria and Austria finished level, Team Melli’s seventh World Cup ended exactly how the previous six had, in the group stage.

Their apology didn’t dampen the welcome they received. The team landed from Turkey, and hundreds of fans, including many children, greeted them at Tehran’s airport with chants of “Iran, Iran!”. The musicians, who were in military uniforms, played the national anthem as the players stepped off the plane. 

Fan Mona Banisafa, among the crowd, said the players had nothing to apologize for. “The national team players tried their best, but it didn’t work out. We came to thank them,” she said. “One hundred percent, if the conditions had been a little better, they would have definitely achieved a better result.”

Head coach Amir Ghalenoei also cited visa denials for some members of the squad’s support staff and travel restrictions as issues the team faced during the tournament, on top of wider tensions between Tehran and Washington. 

Iran came home still chasing the one thing they have failed to achieve in seven World Cups: a trip to the knockout stage. Saturday’s draw came agonizingly close to changing that story. But the reception at the airport indicated that this team and their fans’ relationship was never about the scoreline.