Donald Trump ally ‘danced happy dance’ after Iran’s World Cup exit | Football | Sport

The U.S’s top security official has twisted the knife into Iran’s national football team after boasting that he danced with joy upon learning of their World Cup 2026 elimination. Markwayne Mullin, the Secretary of Homeland Security, revelled in the satisfaction he felt when he revoked their ESTA visas for entry into the United States, taunting them further by claiming he ‘maybe even danced a happy dance’.

Iran were held to a 1-1 draw with Egypt, leaving their fate in the hands of other sides. The match ended on a contentious note after they were denied a late victory when VAR disallowed substitute Shoja Khalilzadeh’s stoppage-time strike. An animated graphic appeared to show an extraordinarily fine margin that may have been decided by mere millimetres, casting doubt over the reliability of the measurements produced by the semi-automated VAR system. The draw left them finishing third in Group G on three points after drawing all three of their matches.

However, their neutral goal difference ultimately cost them a place in the third-place mini table, with Senegal pipping them courtesy of a +2 goal difference. Their fate was actually sealed while Iran were not even on the pitch. Instead, a 3-3 draw between Algeria and Austria — featuring a 95th-minute equaliser from Sasa Kalajdzic — sent Iran crashing out of the tournament.

While many football supporters expressed sympathy for the Asian nation, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mullin – an ally of US President Donald Trump – told reporters: “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: “There wasn’t a single team that we had to spend more time dealing with than Iran.”

The comments follow complaints from multiple Iranian figures regarding how the national squad, its players and staff were treated throughout the tri-nation competition. Head coach Amir Ghalenoei described his side as the “most oppressed” at the tournament against the backdrop of ongoing tensions between Iran, the US and Israel.

Iran’s training headquarters was relocated from Arizona to Tijuana in Mexico ahead of the World Cup and the team encountered travel limitations at every turn. They were the only nation forced to depart immediately when scheduled to compete on American territory.

Ghalenoei lamented the “very unfair” handling his team endured from their US hosts, revealing his squad had been afforded “less than half” the preparation time it required. Iran skipper Mehdi Taremi concurred, stating: “This kind of tension undermines the joy of the World Cup. I felt the tension from the first moment we arrived.”

Mullin’s remarks are unlikely to ease tensions any time soon, particularly after Iran Ambassador Abolfazl Pasandideh voiced concerns about a conspiracy against his nation on the field.

In an extensive statement to Politico, Abolfazl Pasandideh argued that Iran battled “fatigue, injustice, and hardships that rarely appeared before the cameras,” while also criticising “pseudo-VAR” interventions.

“Perhaps some balls fell just centimetres short of bringing joy to millions of Iranians – centimetres that were not even measured by the linesman’s flag, yet were magnified by ‘pseudo-VAR’ interventions,” Pasandideh wrote. “However, nothing could ever diminish the magnitude of your determination.