Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has sharply criticised the United States and the organisation of the FIFA World Cup 2026, accusing the host nation of “bending rules”, “bullying rivals” and “cheating” amid growing controversies surrounding the tournament’s knockout stage.
In a post on X, Pezeshkian linked the disputes at the World Cup to what he described as Washington’s broader approach to international affairs.
“The U.S. government’s conduct as World Cup host follows its familiar foreign policy: bending rules, bullying rivals, creating obstacles, and cheating. This is their MAGA playbook. Iran rejects such games. We stand firmly for our rights,” he wrote.
His remarks came in the aftermath of Egypt’s dramatic 3-2 Round of 16 defeat to defending champions Argentina, a match that reignited debate over refereeing decisions and FIFA’s handling of key incidents.
Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan alleged that FIFA favoured Argentina and captain Lionel Messi after his side surrendered a two-goal lead. A second-half goal by Mostafa Ziko was ruled out following a VAR review, with officials determining that an infringement earlier in the move invalidated the goal.
The disallowed strike proved to be a turning point before Argentina staged a late comeback to secure victory.
The Egypt controversy followed another major dispute involving United States forward Folarin Balogun. After being sent off against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32, Balogun’s automatic one-match suspension was suspended by FIFA under Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, allowing him to feature against Belgium in the Round of 16.
The decision drew criticism after US President Donald Trump revealed that he had spoken with FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review Balogun’s suspension before the governing body announced its decision.
Iran had also previously raised concerns over the tournament’s organisation. Despite remaining unbeaten during the group stage, Team Melli failed to qualify for the knockout rounds.
