United States Homeland Security Secretary, Markwayne Mullin, has said he “danced a happy dance” after Iran were eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, sparking a fresh war of words following a tournament overshadowed by political tensions between the two countries.
Speaking during a World Cup security briefing in Washington, Mullin welcomed Iran’s early exit and departure from the United States.
“I’m just glad they’re done, and they’re not coming back,” Mullin said.
“I was so happy when we were able to pull their visas and said they could leave the US soil, and I might’ve sung a song or two or maybe even danced a happy dance.
“There wasn’t a single team that we dealt with more than them.”
Iran’s World Cup exit
Iran failed to reach the knockout stage after finishing as the ninth-best third-placed team in the tournament.
Their hopes ended after Austria’s late goal in a 3-3 draw with Algeria altered the rankings of third-placed teams, leaving Iran outside the eight teams that advanced to the round of 32.
Iran had drawn 1-1 with Egypt in their final group match and briefly believed they had secured victory when a stoppage-time goal was ruled out for offside.
Security concerns and travel restrictions
Throughout the tournament, Iran’s participation was affected by strict travel restrictions imposed by US authorities.
The team was initially forced to move its training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico and their players were required to enter the United States shortly before each match and leave immediately afterwards under the terms of their visas.
Mullin also claimed that “almost half” of the individuals Iran wanted to bring into the United States for the tournament had direct links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The Iran Football Federation rejected the allegation, describing it as “completely unsupported by any evidence.”
An official of the federation also dismissed Mullin’s comments, saying they “say far more about him than they do about our team.”
Iran criticises treatment
Iran head coach, Amir Ghalenoei, said the team had faced unfair treatment throughout the tournament.
“It was the host that wasn’t very good to us,” Ghalenoei said after the draw with Egypt.
“I urge FIFA to not let the hosts treat teams and players the same way in the future. I hope Mr. Infantino will actually stand up to such behavior.”
He added that, despite the challenges, the team had represented the country with pride.
“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.”
Captain Mehdi Taremi also criticised the atmosphere surrounding the team’s campaign.
“This kind of tension undermines the joy of the World Cup. I felt the tension from the first moment we arrived.”
