US minister celebrates Iran World Cup exit, federation hits back

US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin celebrated Iran's World Cup elimination publicly, and Iran's football federation has responded. Mullin posted on X that Iran's exit was good news for America, framing it as a national security matter (1). The Iranian football association called the remarks a violation of FIFA's principle of separating sport from politics and has requested FIFA intervene (1). Captain Mehdi Taremi had earlier criticized FIFA's handling of Iran during the tournament, calling it unfair (1). Whether FIFA will take up the complaint remains unclear.