Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei says the Iranian football team was treated in “the most politicised” manner during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, Al Jazeera reports.

He says that the matter of issuing visas had been a serious problem from the beginning, and a significant number of members of the technical staff and federation officials were denied visas.

“The issue of the Iranian national football team staying at a place other than the venue of the games itself also became problematic,” he says.

Baqaei has also slammed Markwayne Mullin, the US Secretary of Homeland Security, for announcing he “maybe even danced a happy dance” to celebrate Iran’s exit from the tournament.