Iran came into the World Cup knowing that the odds of them getting out of the group stage for the first time were stacked against them.
It wasn't for a lack of talent. In the end, their fate was determined by a controversial offside decision, denying them a last-minute winner against Egypt that would have seen them qualify for the next round level on points with Group G winners Belgium.
That they were able to remain undefeated, holding their own against the ninth-ranked Belgians, came despite the unique set of obstacles imposed on them.
For Team Melli, the competition was never a level playing field. US authorities imposed draconian restrictions on their movements. Key staff members were denied visas . In the lead-up to the event, there was even speculation that US officials could bar them from participating.
Political tension dominated the team's campaign. As the players flew to their basecamp in Mexico , Iran remained at war with the co-hosts, whose unprovoked attack with Israel had killed thousands of Iranian civilians. Just weeks before the opening game, President Donald Trump had threatened to wipe out Iran's "whole civilisation".
Meanwhile, the heated state of the nation's diaspora politics saw hundreds of monarchist protesters rally against the Islamic Republic ahead of each game. Boos rang out in the stadiums as the country's national anthem played.
"It's a disaster World Cup, a disaster," Iran's captain Mehdi Taremi told reporters after Friday's match against Egypt.
Iranian football officials have not been shy about voicing complaints about the conditions imposed by the US, and about FIFA , which they say did not do enough to ensure a fair competition.
"[The US's] behaviour towards us has been really terrible," head coach Amir Ghalenoei said in his post-match press conference on Friday.
"I urge FIFA to not let the hosts treat teams and players the same way in the future. I hope [FIFA President Gianni] Infantino will actually stand up to such behaviour."
Ghalenoei had previously named Iran as the "most oppressed" team at the tournament.
For the first two games, Team Melli were under strict visa restrictions that forced them to travel to their host cities a day before and leave immediately afterwards. From their base in Tijuana, this involved a relatively short trip for their first two matches in Los Angeles but a 2,000-kilometre journey to Seattle for the final game.
This put the players at a unique disadvantage to the other 47 teams in the tournament, which have more time to prepare ahead of games and recover after them.
"For players, every minute of their time matters before and after games," Mehran Rowshan, a football coach and founder of Alliance Football Club Dubai, told The New Arab .
"The recovery matters most in football. The team that recovers better has a better chance of winning," he said.
Ghalenoei himself lamented the travel restrictions, telling reporters on Friday that "they really hurt us".
"Had the host country allowed us to arrive two weeks earlier, we would have been more prepared. They were reasonable, rational demands. We would have been able to recover and be in better shape physically and mentally," he said.
“When you play in a match, physically, scientifically, our bodies are at a low and when you suddenly go on a flight, that actually postpones your recovery."
The US also denied visas to 15 Iranian football officials, who Iran said were "integral" members of the team's backroom staff and top figures in the nation's football governing body.
Justifying the decision, a US official accused Iran of trying to sneak "terrorists" into the country.
The Iranian players, though, proved able to leave the toxic politics off the pitch, putting in a series of dogged performances that brought them closer to the knockout rounds than ever before.
The opening game saw the team twice come back from behind to draw against a spirited New Zealand side.
Even more encouraging was their tie with Belgium , which ended goalless despite Rudi Garcia's side seeing most of the ball. Iran defended resolutely and arguably had the better chances through the game. Indeed, they were unlucky not to take a first-half lead when Mehdi Taremi was ruled milimetres offside after scoring from a creative free kick.
The final game against Mohammed Salah's Egypt brought their campaign to a fittingly dramatic conclusion. Having come back from behind in the first half, Iran thought they had snatched victory in the dying minutes of the game when 37-year-old Shoja Khalilzadeh bundled the ball into the back of the net.
But the jubilation among Team Melli was short-lived as, minutes later, the video assistant referee ruled out the goal for offside. It was a decision that left Iran in third place in the group and extended their wait for World Cup knockout football.
"This World Cup will always be remembered as a sign of resilience," said Rowshan, an Iranian national.
"Despite everything that happened, we went there, we played, we performed and we came back. That will always stay in the history books."