Iran Mocks the U.S.'s Exit from the World Cup
The Iranian Football Federation reacted strongly to the U.S. national team’s elimination from the World Cup. Following the Americans’ loss to Belgium, the Iranian side published a post declaring “the victory of soccer over politics.”
The post quickly went viral on social media and sparked lively discussion among soccer fans. At the same time, controversy continues to swirl around the U.S. national team over FIFA’s decision on the eve of the match against Belgium.
The Iranian Football Federation publicly reacted to the U.S. national team’s elimination from the World Cup. After the Americans’ crushing 1–4 loss to Belgium, the Iranian side published a post with a rather pointed subtext. On its social media pages, the federation posted an image showing the results of the two matches. It depicted Iran’s 0–0 draw with Belgium and the U.S. team’s 1–4 loss to Belgium.
The caption accompanying the image was even more telling. “The whole world is celebrating after the humiliating defeat of politics by soccer,” reads the message from the Iranian Football Federation. The post quickly went viral and became a topic of discussion among soccer fans in various countries.
A scandal surrounding the U.S. national team added further tension to the situation even before the quarterfinal match. On the eve of the game, FIFA’s disciplinary committee lifted the suspension of one of the American team’s leaders—forward Folarin Balogun. This decision sparked a wave of criticism among parts of the soccer community, especially after U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he had personally appealed to FIFA President Gianni Infantino on this matter.
This year’s World Cup is being held simultaneously in three countries—the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The tournament has made history, as 48 national teams are participating in the final stage for the first time. The World Cup final is scheduled for July 19. Meanwhile, the battle for the trophy continues. The first quarterfinal match, pitting France against Morocco, will take place on July 9.
The Moroccans advanced to this stage after a convincing victory over Canada in the playoff match. Azzedine Ounahi was the hero of the match, scoring twice. He scored the first goal off a set piece, when Achraf Hakimi delivered a pass for the shot. In the second half, Ounai scored again with a precise shot into the top corner of the net. Canada tried to get back into the game, but the Moroccan team played very organized defense and barely allowed their opponents to create any dangerous chances.
The score could have been even higher late in the match. Souafian Rahimi took a shot from distance, but the ball hit the crossbar. Thus, Morocco continues its quest for the trophy, while the U.S. national team, following a painful defeat to Belgium, ended its run in the tournament early. Afterward, this soccer match unexpectedly took on a political dimension—off the field. This was reported by “Glavkom.”
As a reminder, the Spanish national team became the latest quarterfinalist in the 2026 World Cup, narrowly defeating Portugal in a highly anticipated Iberian derby. The outcome of the Round of 16 match was decided by a single goal scored in stoppage time of the second half.
The Belgian national team confidently defeated the United States 4–1 in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup.
