Iran defender Ramin Rezaeian fought back tears after his side's 1-1 draw against Egypt, apologising to supporters and expressing hope that the team could still lift the spirits of the nation by reaching the FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout stage.
The Iran players, who sang the national anthem before kick-off, sent their thousands of supporters at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium delirious as they celebrated beating a European team at a World Cup for the first time.