“Throughout my career, I have never seen players who gave so much and received so little in return – I am extraordinarily proud of their dedication, wearing their jerseys for the country,” said Carlos Queiroz, the Iran manager.Although Queiroz passionately argued that there should be less politics and more focus on delivering “joy” to the watching public, a pre-match reference to school shootings had been a pointed way to highlight that every country has its problems.