Tehran, July 1 -- Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian hailed the national men's football team following the conclusion of their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign, saying that "striving and fighting with all your being until the very last moment is more important than victory".

Iran ended their WC campaign with a third-place in Group G, with three draws in three games against Egypt, Belgium and New Zealand, including a brave goalless draw against Belgium, one of the strongest sides of the tournament. Iran's WC campaign was also marked by a lot of controversies.

In a post on X, Masoud wrote, "To the members of our national football team who returned to dear Iran today, I say well done. Striving and fighting with all your being until the very last...