Seattle [US], June 27 (ANI): Iran's national football team left a note in the Seattle locker room on fair play and sportsmanship following their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G fixture against Egypt, which ended in a 1-1 draw and confirmed Egypt's historic qualification to the knockout stage.

Following the match, Iran's team shared a reflective statement via an image posted by Tasnim News Agency on X, emphasising honour, character and respect beyond results.

'We come from Iran... A land that, for thousands of years, has valued honor above victory. For us, football is more than 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 rules; it is the soul of the game. 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,' the note read.

In the previous match, Iran left a message in their SoFi Stadium locker room on Sunday (local time) thanking Los Angeles for its hospitality during the World Cup and saying they are leaving with dignity after a 0-0 draw with Belgium, according to Reuters.

'From the ancient Persia of thousands of years ago to the civilized Iran of today, the spirit of Iran remains alive and steadfast,' read the handwritten note, which was released by Iran's football federation, as quoted by Reuters.

'Thank you Los Angeles for your hospitality. 'We came to Los Angeles with pride, competed with honor, and leave with dignity,' it concluded.

Coming to the contest, Egypt sealed a historic qualification to the FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout stage for the first time after a tense 1-1 draw with Iran in their final Group G fixture.

Iran's Ramin Rezaeian was named Player of the Match for his influential performance in the closely contested encounter.

Egypt made an early breakthrough when Mahmoud Saber finished from close range after Mohamed Salah's deflected shot was parried by goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand.

Iran responded quickly and were handed a major opportunity to equalise in the ninth minute when Mehdi Taremi was fouled by Mohamed Abdelmonem inside the box, but Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir saved the resulting penalty.

Shobeir continued his fine form with another important stop to deny Milad Mohammadi before Iran levelled the score through Ramin Rezaeian, who reacted quickest inside the box to finish from a tight angle.

The Egyptian goalkeeper remained solid throughout the first half, dealing with a dangerous cross and later keeping out Shoja Khalilzadeh before the interval. After the break, Egypt controlled possession for extended periods as they managed the tempo of the match, aware that other group results could impact their standing.

Iran pressed for a late winner, but a stoppage-time goal was ruled out for offside following a VAR review. Shobeir then produced another crucial save from Saeid Ezatolahi to secure Egypt's progression with a vital point. (ANI)