US homeland security chief celebrates Iran’s World Cup elimination

By Aditya Rao — 30 June 2026 — 3 min read

The United States‘ head of homeland security, Markwayne Mullin, expressed his satisfaction following Iran‘s elimination from the World Cup, stating he “danced a happy dance” upon hearing the news. Iran exited the tournament after failing to qualify from the group stage, missing out on goal difference.

Iran‘s coach, Amir Ghalenoei, described his team as the “most oppressed” at the tournament, citing various challenges they faced. These included a change in their training base from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, before the competition, and ongoing travel restrictions throughout their participation.

Tournament exit and official reaction

Iran‘s hopes of advancing were dashed after a stoppage-time goal against Egypt was disallowed due to a marginal offside call. Despite a 1-1 draw with Egypt, they still had a chance to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams.

However, their elimination was confirmed when Algeria and Austria concluded their match with a 3-3 draw. Iran ultimately finished as the ninth-best third-place team, with only the top eight advancing to the round of 32.

Speaking to reporters, Mullin stated, “I’m just glad they’re done, and they’re not coming back. 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.” He added that no other team required as much attention as Iran.

Travel restrictions and team complaints

Under the terms of their visas, Iran was only allowed to enter the US the day before their initial two matches and had to depart on the same day. These restrictions were somewhat eased for their final group game in Seattle, permitting them to arrive two days in advance, but they were still required to return to Tijuana after the match.

Ghalenoei criticised the treatment his squad received from the US, co-hosts of the World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico. He claimed his team was treated “very unfairly” and was provided with “less than half” of the necessary training window for preparation.

Iran captain Mehdi Taremi also commented on the situation, stating, “This kind of tension undermines the joy of the World Cup. I felt the tension from the first moment we arrived.”

The Iranian federation lodged multiple complaints regarding their treatment by US authorities during their time at the competition. Mullin addressed these concerns, explaining that the arrangement for Iran to leave immediately after each match was an agreement made with FIFA before the games commenced.

He further maintained that “almost half” of the individuals Iran intended to bring to the US for the World Cup were directly linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an assertion that the Iranian federation denied, calling it “completely unsupported by any evidence.”

Following their 1-1 draw against Egypt, Ghalenoei urged FIFA to prevent host nations from treating teams and players similarly in future tournaments. He expressed hope that FIFA president Gianni Infantino would address such conduct. The Iranian team left notes for their hosts after their final two matches, including one in Seattle that highlighted the importance of fair play.

Source: bbc.com