Iran celebrate USA’s World Cup humiliation with instant statement aimed at Donald Trump

The United States’ World Cup campaign ended in humiliation on Tuesday morning when Belgium dismantled the hosts 4-1, but the biggest political fallout came from Tehran. As the Stars and Stripes crashed out of their home tournament, Iran’s football federation seized the moment to fire a direct shot across Washington’s bow, framing the result as football’s victory over politics.

Belgium’s rout seals US exit

Belgium’s attacking trio overwhelmed the USMNT, who were already eliminated, with a dominant 4-1 victory in Group B. The result left the Americans bottom of their section, their tournament ending in a manner that mirrored their disjointed performances throughout. Belgium’s forwards exploited space with clinical efficiency, while the US defence struggled to contain their movement. The defeat capped a campaign in which the hosts failed to build momentum, compounded by off-field controversies that overshadowed their on-pitch efforts. Romelu Lukaku opened the scoring in the 10th minute, capitalising on a defensive error before doubling the lead in the 33rd. Timothy Weah pulled one back in the 61st, but Belgium restored their lead through Kevin De Bruyne in the 69th and added a fourth through a late Marouane Fellaini strike in the 84th.

Iran’s federation strikes back

Within hours of the US elimination, Iran’s football authorities issued a statement dripping with defiance. “Now the whole world is dancing to celebrate politics’ humiliating defeat by football,” a spokesperson declared, a clear reference to US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s earlier remarks. Mullin had publicly celebrated Iran’s group-stage exit, boasting of a “happy dance” and singing in celebration after their visas were revoked and their travel restricted. The Iranian federation framed the US exit as poetic justice, turning the tables on Washington’s attempts to isolate Tehran through bureaucratic and political means.

The row between the two nations escalated during the tournament when Iran was forced to relocate its base camp from Arizona to Mexico after US authorities denied visas to eleven staff members, including federation president Mehdi Taj. Iran was also restricted to single-day trips for matches in the US, compelled to leave the country hours after each game—a treatment they described as deliberate mistreatment. Mullin’s gleeful reaction to their elimination only deepened the perception in Tehran that Washington had politicised administrative processes against them.

Politics overshadows sport

The tournament’s undercurrent of political tension reached a crescendo as Iran’s football federation weaponised the USMNT’s exit. Their statement was not merely a celebration of a rival’s failure but a deliberate counterpunch to Washington’s campaign to marginalise Iran through non-sporting channels. The federation’s framing of the result as football’s triumph over politics underscored how deeply geopolitics had seeped into a sporting event designed to transcend borders.

Belgium’s victory, meanwhile, was a reminder that on the field, results speak louder than rhetoric. Roberto Martínez’s side controlled the game with purpose, their forwards exploiting gaps in a US defence that looked stretched and disorganised. The Belgians’ clinical finishing left the Americans’ campaign in tatters, their elimination a formality long before the final whistle. The contrast between Brussels’ professional focus and Washington’s political gamesmanship highlighted the disconnect between the tournament’s ideals and the realities of international football.

The fallout from the match extended beyond the pitch. Mullin’s admission that he “might’ve sung a song or two or maybe even danced a happy dance” after Iran’s elimination provided Iran’s federation with ammunition to portray the US as petty and vindictive. The episode will linger as a reminder of how easily sport can be hijacked by geopolitics. Iran’s federation has ensured that the USMNT’s exit is remembered not just for Belgium’s goals, but for the political statement that followed. Football may have delivered a result, but politics ensured the aftermath would be anything but ordinary.