June 30 (Reuters) - Iran's soccer team thanked the people of Tijuana on Tuesday for their hospitality at the World Cup following the side's group-stage elimination, saying Mexico had become "our second home and our second team".
Political tensions between Tehran and Washington forced Iran to abandon plans to establish its World Cup base in Tucson, Arizona, and relocate to Tijuana shortly before the tournament.
The Iranian team were also only allowed to enter the U.S. a day before their games. The U.S. authorities later eased some restrictions, permitting Iran to travel two days before their final group game in Seattle, although the team was still required to return to its Mexican base afterwards.
"True hosting is about respect, humanity, and dignity. We will never forget the kindness of the people of Tijuana," the team said in a message published on the team's WhatsApp channel.
"From this day forward, Mexico will always be more than a host nation to us; it will be our second home and our second team."
QUESTIONS OVER TREATMENT
Earlier in the tournament, Iran left a message in their SoFi Stadium locker room also thanking Los Angeles for its hospitality after hosting two of Iran's Group G matches.
However, coach Amir Ghalenoei and captain Mehdi Taremi both publicly criticised the arrangements during the tournament, saying the team had not been treated on the same basis as other participants.
The statement also raised concerns about what Iran described as a lack of competitive fairness.
"We leave this World Cup with pride, but also with one fundamental question: Did every team truly compete under equal conditions and equal professional standards?" the team said.
Iran did not directly name FIFA, tournament organisers or U.S. authorities, but referred to "a series of decisions, logistical arrangements, and circumstances that undermined the sense of fairness".
The country was denied an injury-time winner by a tight offside call in their final group game against Egypt which would have earned them a place in the last 32.
"For us, Fair Play is not a slogan printed on advertising boards; it is the very identity of football. Yet this tournament reminded us that there is still a significant distance between inspiring words and meaningful actions," the statement said.
However, Egypt also came in for praise.
"World Cups come to an end. Administrators change. But civilizations such as Iran, Egypt, and Mexico — built upon truth, respect, and human dignity — endure through history," it said.
(Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru; Editing by Alison Williams)
