According to the Iranian Football Federation, “the whole world is dancing” now after the United States suffered a crushing 4-1 loss to Belgium and was eliminated from its home World Cup. The US fell behind Belgium overall, and after the final whistle, Iran started attacking Donald Trump. Belgium were unhappy with the United States after forward Folarin Balogun was allowed to play despite being shown a red card in his previous appearance.
Despite securing draws in all three games, Iran narrowly missed out on advancing to the knockout stages and were eliminated in the group stage, feeling that they had been unfairly treated at the World Cup. Iran’s national soccer team was quick to react to the USMNT’s withdrawal after Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Marin had previously congratulated Iran on their defeat. Iran issued a statement through its spokesperson, declaring that “the whole world is now dancing in celebration of the humiliating defeat of politics by football.”
Iran was allowed to travel to the game in the United States the day before and had to leave the country within hours of the final whistle. They were stationed in Mexico during the World Cup. Eleven members of the Iranian delegation, including President Mehdi Taji, were also denied visas by US authorities.
On Monday, Marin further escalated the controversy when he revealed that he had performed a “happy dance” after Iran failed to qualify, and admitted that he “sang a song or two” at the celebration.
“I’m really glad they (Iran) are gone, but they’re not coming back,” Marin said at a news conference in Washington. “When we got their visas and were told they could leave the continental United States, we were very happy and maybe even sang a song or two or did a happy dance. There’s no team we’ve dealt with more than them, so we’re very happy to have them back.”
Iran’s soccer federation reacted sharply to Marin’s remarks before Monday’s USMNT game, issuing a statement saying, “Iranians are used to abuses and lies from U.S. officials, so these hostile comments come as no surprise to the Iranian people.”
“These statements demonstrate once again that U.S. officials are not adhering to international law and the principles expected of host nations capable of hosting global sporting events.
“The fact that he is publicly celebrating Iran’s defeat says far more about him than it does about our team. It reflects a level of narrow-mindedness that cannot even be tolerated by a football team competing on the world’s biggest stage.”
“After the game against New Zealand, our head coach stated that the United States did not want Iran to remain in this tournament because of the inhumane and unprofessional treatment our team experienced. These latest comments only strengthen that idea.”
In contrast, Iran expressed gratitude for Mexico’s hospitality and left a message in Tijuana thanking local residents. “You have shown us that hosting the FIFA World Cup is about more than stadiums and tickets.
“True hosting is about respect, humanity and dignity. We leave this World Cup with pride, but also with one fundamental question: Did all teams really compete on equal terms and to equal professional standards?”
