This editor hasn't been following the World Cup (although he has been following Freddy from Germany and other World Cup tourists as they discover the wonders of Outdoor World and Bucc-ee's). On Sunday, though, he was thrilled to read on Twitchy that America had become the first nation to host a World Cup team and lead an air strike on its nation on the same day. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also told the Iranian team that it wouldn't be staying overnight in the U.S., instead boarding a post-match flight to Tijuana.
The Associated Press apparently feels bad for Iran's World Cup team, reporting that it was eliminated in "heartbreaking fashion."
Iran has been eliminated from the World Cup in heartbreaking fashion, narrowly failing to advance past the group stage in a politically charged tournament where the team played its matches amid tight restrictions imposed by the United States. https://t.co/3SxGDP1EOO
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 28, 2026
Jim Vertuno reports:
Iran has been eliminated from the World Cup, narrowly failing to advance past the group stage in a politically charged tournament where the team played its matches amid tight restrictions imposed by the United States.
Iran missed the round of 32 by one spot in heartbreaking fashion.
…
It was one last painful moment for Iran in a World Cup that’s been tumultuous, on and off the pitch.
The Iranians have been playing while Tehran negotiates with Washington on terms of a deal meant to permanently end the war that began earlier this year. Tensions continued Saturday when Iran launched a drone assault targeting Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, in a likely response to overnight airstrikes by the U.S. Hours later, the U.S. said it struck multiple Iranian military targets after it said Iran attacked a ship near the Straight of Hormuz.
All of us at Twitchy are heartbroken.
As an Iranian, I offer my condolence to AP and the mullahs regime. Iranians don't consider this team their national team. Players who stood by the people got arrested or kicked out.
— Siavash Safavi (@SedSia) June 28, 2026
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The AP is practically in tears over a terror regime losing a soccer tournament.
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) June 28, 2026
You don’t hate the press enough. pic.twitter.com/K8mwGh9OBL
Now the #2 hater of America will be their favorite team.
— Uncle Curtis 🇺🇸 (@GenerallyLeMay) June 28, 2026
Get fucked AP, and take those terrorists with you.
— Geoff Fienberg (@gfienberg17) June 28, 2026
This team belongs to Islamic terrorist regime and #IRGC
— PahlaviRising (@Pahlavi_Rising) June 28, 2026
They are not representative of Iran and Iranian people #IranMassacre pic.twitter.com/RwXAg9d8JL
How is it heartbreaking? They are the single largest supporter of terrorism in the world. This article is like saying it’s super sad that the Nazi team didn’t qualify for the 1944 Olympics.
— J.W. de Nashville (@C130GuyBNA) June 28, 2026
You know what was heartbreaking? The murder of 42,000 Iranians protesting the very regime who has abducted and hidden the real Iranian soccer team's goalie.
— Adyana (@adyanalistens) June 29, 2026
Restrictions? This IRGC "team" is lucky they were allowed into the country at all.
Hi…simple question here. Where’s the Iranian starting goalie?
— Tabitha (@tabigibson) June 28, 2026
Isn’t their goalie imprisoned in Iran awaiting execution for wrong thought? Didn’t the mullahs try to sneak terrorists into our country with the team?
— Sarah Good (@catpurrsarenice) June 28, 2026
It was not Iran’s team. It was the Islamic Republic’s.
— AghaChurchill 🦁☀️🇮🇱 (@aghachurchill) June 28, 2026
People of Iran are really happy.
Their government massacred Iranians, and this is karma!
Those thugs were not Iran. Iran had no team in the World Cup.
— H. Ferdosy | ح. فردوسی (@AuthorHFerry) June 28, 2026
You should be heartbroken over the entire team being replaced by IRGC simps. Where are the real players?
— 𝐻𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝐿𝒶𝓃𝑒 (@goldengirlinlv) June 29, 2026
Iran didn't have a team. The Islamic regime's team though had one and fuck them
— Bita 🇮🇷🇺🇸 (@smn_thr) June 28, 2026
The prayers of the families of those 42,000+ innocents killed by this regime have been answered. The IRGC team has been kicked out of the World Cup. Real Iranians around the world are celebrating, while Islamists and leftists are mourning the loss of their propaganda team.
— Soheil (@soheil7and) June 28, 2026
Islamists and leftists … and the Associated Press.
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