WANA (Oct 04) – The U.S. government’s refusal to issue visas for Amir Ghalenoei, head coach of Iran’s national football team, and Mehdi Taj, president of the Iranian Football Federation, ahead of the 2026 World Cup draw, has sparked widespread backlash among international users and media outlets. Many social media users described the move as “a test of FIFA’s independence” and a clear sign of political interference in football.

 

A user named ferizandra wrote on X: “Israel bombs civilians yet is allowed to play, while Russia was banned immediately after the war began. This double standard exposes FIFA’s hypocrisy.”

Another user, Athousand Brains, criticized the U.S. for hosting the World Cup, saying: “The U.S., acting on Israel’s orders, blocked the Iranian delegation from attending the draw ceremony. It’s always been a mistake to give a colony the right to host major tournaments like the World Cup.”

 

Leila Hamed, a journalist for the Spanish outlet Marca, also condemned Washington’s behavior, saying: “The U.S. doesn’t deserve to host the World Cup because it’s using the event to whitewash genocide in Gaza. Instead of punishing Israel, countries that stand for humanity are being excluded.”

 

While criticism of the U.S. decision toward Iran continued, anger also mounted over FIFA’s double standards regarding Israel. The controversy deepened when FIFA President Gianni Infantino, following a council meeting, refused to suspend Israel’s football association and stated vaguely: “FIFA cannot solve geopolitical problems, but it can and must promote peace and unity through cultural and human values.”

That statement triggered another wave of outrage online. The global football satire account Troll Football, which has more than 500 million followers, posted an edited FIFA logo featuring the Nazi Germany flag, writing: “Share this image until it’s the first thing that appears when someone searches FIFA on Google.”

 

Within just 17 hours, the post was shared more than 39,000 times and viewed by over two million people. Users flooded the comments, accusing FIFA of aligning with “discriminatory political agendas” and demanding accountability for its double standards.

 

As public and media pressure mounts, sports analysts believe this controversy could become one of FIFA’s most serious ethical and reputational crises ahead of the 2026 World Cup — an event where the slogan “Football for All” has never sounded more hollow.