'The whole world is dancing!' - Iran rejoice after USMNT's World Cup exit

The United States' journey as co-hosts came to a crashing halt following a 4-1 defeat to Belgium, a result that has triggered scenes of joy in Tehran. Iran, who were eliminated in the group stages after drawing all three of their matches, felt significantly mistreated during their time in North America and wasted no time in highlighting what they described as a victory for the sport over political maneuvering.

In a biting official statement, an Iran Football Federation spokesperson declared: "Now the whole world is dancing to celebrate politics’ humiliating defeat by football." The comment appears to serve as a direct jab at the US government, particularly after US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin admitted he was happy when Iran’s exit was confirmed earlier in the tournament.

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The bad blood between the two nations reached boiling point when Mullin revealed his delight at Iran's failure to progress. The US official had stated: "I’m just glad they’re [Iran] 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. I’m very happy they’re going back because there wasn’t a single team that we dealt with more than them."

Iran’s response was swift and uncompromising, stating: "Iranians are used to the mistreatment and lies of US officials, so no one in Iran is surprised by these hostile remarks.

"These remarks once again demonstrate that US officials have no commitment to international law or the principles expected of a host nation capable of organising a global sporting event. The fact that he openly celebrates Iran’s elimination says far more about him than it does about our team."

The federation also highlighted the "inhumane and unprofessional treatment" the team faced, including being forced to relocate their base camp from Arizona to Mexico and the denial of visas for 11 staff members, including federation president Mehdi Taj.

Political tensions were further exacerbated by the controversial inclusion of Folarin Balogun in Mauricio Pochettino's starting lineup for the clash in Seattle. Despite being shown a straight red card in the previous round, the striker was cleared to play after Donald Trump admitted to asking FIFA for a review of the suspension. FIFA eventually suspended the automatic one-match ban for 12 months, a decision that sparked global outrage and accusations of favoritism. While the USMNT exit was met with mockery from Tehran, it was also celebrated on the pitch by the Belgians, who mimicked the 'Trump dance' after their fourth goal.

The defeat ensures that all three co-hosts – the US, Canada, and Mexico – have been eliminated at the round-of-16 stage, leaving the tournament without a home representative for the later rounds. For the USMNT, the focus now turns to the future, with question marks remaining over whether head coach Mauricio Pochettino will stay on and sign a new contract or seek an exit.