Iran left another lengthy handwritten note in their dressing room after their draw against Egypt at the 2026 World Cup.
Iran drew their opening two matches of the World Cup against New Zealand and Belgium. They went into their final group game with Egypt at Seattle Stadium knowing a victory would see them progress to the last 32, while a draw would give them a chance of qualifying as one of the eight best-performing third-placed sides.
Team Melli didn’t get off to the best of starts as they fell behind after just five minutes when Mahmoud Saber found the back of the net. Iran hit back quickly, though, restoring parity nine minutes later through Ramin Rezaeian.
Iran thought they had won the game in the dying embers when Shoja Khalilzadeh fired home, but their goal was ruled out due to the tightest of offside calls. The final whistle blew shortly after as they game ended in a 1-1 draw.
They will now have to wait and see whether they have done enough to qualify for the knockout rounds of the competition.
Iran Leave Note in Dressing Room After Draw vs Egypt
The Telegraph journalist James Decker took a picture of the note and published it on social media. It read: “We come from Iran… From a land that, for thousands of years, has placed honour above victory.
“For us, football is not only a competition for results, it is a test of character.
“Perhaps points can be won in many ways, but respect cannot. Perhaps a team can advance from a group, but only through fairness and honour can one stand tall before history.
“Fair play is not just a line in football’s rules. It is the soul of the game.”
Alongside their comments about fair play, they also wrote the names of six countries yet to play their final group game: Austria, Algeria, Ghana, DR Congo, Uzbekistan and Croatia. The results of those three matches will determine whether Iran advances as one of the best-performing third-placed sides or not.
Their note concluded: “Thank you Seattle for your hospitality and thank you to all Iranians who gave their hearts, their voices. And their whole being for Iran. Iran, always standing tall.”
Iran’s Head Coach Praises His Side
Kirby Lee (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters)
Iran’s head coach, Amir Ghalenoei, praised his side for what they were able to do despite all the hardships they have been made to endure.
He said after their draw against Egypt, per the Guardian: “To my players and the team, I want to say to them I’m proud of them, what these young people, these players have done, it should be written in history because the host country treated us very unfairly.
“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 however they deprived us of that justice.
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“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 and this is the third time they are doing this to us, we have to leave from here to the airport and we have to return to Tijuana and it will take us some three hours.
“Their behaviour towards us has been really terrible and we hope the world will be aware of that. They didn’t let us come two weeks earlier and two days earlier before every game. This has really hurt us. And we had a war as well. Despite all of these problems, we’ve been able to perform well and the world is proud of Iranians and our team. I think that’s our greatest achievement despite all the obstacles and the hurdles they put in our way.”
Manchester United and Tottenham are both pushing to sign West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes in the summer transfer window, and Fabrizio Romano has now provided an update on a potential deal.
Fernandes has been one of the biggest talking points in the summer transfer window so far, especially when it comes to the Premier League.
A number of sides in England are interested in the midfielder after West Ham were relegated to the Championship last season.
A departure feels inevitable for the former Southampton man, but it remains to be seen where he could end up.
Despite West Ham being relegated, they are remaining strong with their valuation of the player, not looking to roll over despite dropping down a league.
It certainly helps that multiple clubs are interested in signing Fernandes, meaning a bidding war could ensue.
“I still stand by my own call on this deal. For Mateus Fernandes, Manchester United and Tottenham are still fighting. Tottenham have been there for days, trying to enter, pushing with the player, pushing with his agent. Manchester United remain in contact with West Ham. Man Utd are still working on the Mateus Fernandes deal.”
Romano confirms that both United and Tottenham are ‘pushing like crazy’ to get a deal done, but it’s unclear who is going to win the race at the moment.
There have been claims that Tottenham have reached an agreement with West Ham and Fernandes to secure his signature, but Romano believes that both clubs are still pushing.
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Fernandes Picking the Best Offer
via Reuters
Romano also confirms that Fernandes and West Ham have decided that whoever makes the best financial offer will win the race for the Portuguese midfielder.
If one club offers one penny more, they will win the race, with Fernandes seemingly happy to join either club in the summer transfer window.
That might come as a surprise, with United competing in the Champions League and Tottenham finishing 17th last season.
The West Ham midfielder clearly likes the idea of the Tottenham project and working under Roberto De Zerbi.
It will be interesting to see which club coughs up the most money, as they both seem to have other targets as well in the midfield.
Ivana Knoll, a Croatian model who went viral at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, has started a new career since first being spotted supporting her country.
She became famous instantly after being snapped wearing the iconic red and white checks of her country eight years ago. The 33-year-old then made headlines in Qatar four years ago after many of her outfits went against the country’s strict rules.
Ivana now has almost three million followers on social media and was spotted at Croatia’s 2026 World Cup clashes with England and Panama. She has continued to work as an influencer since her rise to fame, but has now embarked on a new journey.
Ivana Knoll Starts New Career at World Cup
As well as her modelling and influencing commitments, Ivana has now embarked on a journey as a DJ. With the stage name ‘KnollDoll’, the superfan is performing at various venues during this summer’s World Cup.
Before her country were beaten by England in their opening game, she performed at a FIFA Fan Festival in Los Angeles. She’s previously worked with David Guetta and performed at high-profile venues like Madison Square Garden in New York.
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Speaking about the time-consuming new venture after watching Croatia defeat Panama, Knoll told talkSPORT: “I’m amazing. It’s my second game. I came only for Croatia games because now I’m on my DJ tour, my first big US tour.”
She then explained how this is her fourth World Cup, saying: “So I didn’t have time to visit other games, but I’m visiting Croatia games, and this is my fourth World Cup. It’s my routine already. Four World Cups in 16 years. In Brazil, I was very, very young.”
Recalling initially going viral in Russia in 2018, and then gaining even more attention in Qatar, Ivana is delighted to now be watching Croatia in the country she now lives in. She continued:
“In Russia, it was special because we [reached] the final, and I was already going viral in the first game.
“Then in Qatar, I really exploded worldwide, which I never expected. And now it’s here in the country where I live, so I moved to Miami four years ago. It’s amazing.”
Ivana Knoll Names Her Favourite Player ‘as a Person’
Burt Granofsky/Cal Sport Media/Sipa USA via Reuters
Over the years, she’s come into contact with some of the biggest names in world football. However, the 33-year-old claimed to have a particularly pleasant experience when meeting Man City and Norway star Erling Haaland.
“Honestly, personally, who I met and I think is the only player who I really like as a person, is Haaland.
“We have a photo together, and I’m small next to him, and I’m 180.”
She continued: “I know Vinicius [Junior], I know I met Haaland, I know Rafael Leao. They’re all nice guys, you know? So I cannot say anything, but my most impression was with Haaland and his friends. So I think they are very nice people.”
