SAEDNEWS: Just days after U.S. and Israeli strikes killed over 1,000 Iranians, Iranian‑born referee Alireza Faghani’s warm handshake and posed photograph with former President Donald Trump has prompted a firestorm of celebrity reactions.
According to Saed News, Alireza Faghani—the Iranian‑Australian referee entrusted with the Chelsea vs. Paris Saint‑Germain final of the FIFA Club World Cup—drew global attention off the pitch when he accepted an award from Donald Trump and exchanged a cordial embrace and posed for photos with the former U.S. president. The handshake occurred barely days after joint Israeli‑American operations inside Iran led to more than a thousand civilian and military casualties, fueling a tense political backdrop.
Images of Faghani’s beaming greeting rapidly circulated on social media, eliciting a wave of responses from well‑known figures. Some celebrities applauded the referee’s professionalism, arguing that in the realm of sport, courtesy transcends politics. Others condemned the display as a betrayal of national sentiment, asserting that any warmth toward a leader implicated in deadly strikes on Iran undermines solidarity with the victims.
Observers note that Faghani, who has built his reputation on impartiality and composure, appeared to mirror Trump’s signature pose—leaning slightly forward, fist placed over the heart—transforming what might have been a routine awards photo into an incendiary political statement. Critics argue that public personalities must choose carefully “before whom they bow,” warning that even seemingly apolitical gestures carry weight in today’s fraught international climate.
While Faghani has not commented publicly on the uproar, the incident underscores the precarious intersection of global sport and geopolitics—and how a single handshake can ignite debate far beyond the stadium.
