US Homeland Security chief did 'happy dance' over Iran's World Cup exit, coach says team treated unfairly

US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin expressed overt joy at Iran's exit from the World Cup, admitting to a "happy dance" and even singing songs. Mullin's elation stemmed from the US government's ongoing conflict with Iran, which led to restrictions on the Iranian soccer team's movements during their time in the US for the tournament. He stated that the US dealt with Iran more than any other team, implying a significant level of engagement or scrutiny.

Mullin claimed that nearly half of the individuals Iran wished to bring to the US for the World Cup were linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an assertion the Iranian federation has refuted as baseless. The US had previously restricted the Iranian team's training base location and required them to leave the country immediately after each match.

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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.

In contrast, Iran's coach, Amir Ghalenoei, voiced strong dissatisfaction with the treatment his team received. Following their final match, Ghalenoei described the experience as "very unfair" and urged FIFA to prevent similar treatment of teams by hosts in the future. He specifically called on FIFA president Gianni Infantino to address such behavior.

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It was the host that wasn't very good to us. I urge FIFA to not let the hosts treat teams and players the same way in the future. I hope Mr. Infantino will actually stand up to such behavior.