SAEDNEWS: Iran’s Exit from the 2026 World Cup After Strict VAR Decisions Against Egypt Sparks Outrage from Roy Keane and Wayne Rooney
According to the political news service of SaedNews, the controversial disallowance of Iran’s national football team goal against Egypt in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup—following a VAR review—and Iran’s unexpected elimination, has not only angered football legends such as Roy Keane, Wayne Rooney, and Ricardo Quaresma, but has also led to deep analysis in domestic media regarding double standards within international organizations. In one analytical editorial, the newspaper Etemad compared FIFA’s allegedly biased approach with Rafael Grossi’s reports at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), describing these events as a warning sign for the need to urgently revise Iran’s foreign policy and international relations based on national interests.
During the high-stakes match between Iran and Egypt, held on Saturday morning, July 6, 2026, in Seattle, USA, a controversial VAR decision ruled out an early extra-time goal that had previously been approved by the Polish referee. This decision triggered strong international reactions. Ricardo Quaresma, former Portugal national team star, harshly criticized the ruling, stating that Iran was not eliminated by Egypt, but by the VAR screen. Roy Keane, Irish football legend and former Manchester United captain, described the incident as a clear injustice and warned about the failure of technology to ensure fairness. Wayne Rooney also called the decision extremely harsh and acknowledged that VAR in this World Cup appeared to act against its original purpose of making football more fair.
These global reactions came as Mehdi Taremi, captain of Iran’s national team, openly criticized FIFA’s approach and the host country, directly addressing Gianni Infantino. According to official FIFA statistics, Iran suffered the loss of 6 points due to two disallowed goals, making it the most affected team among the 48 teams in the group stage. The extremely strict and marginal offside decisions have further fueled suspicions that these rulings may not have been entirely coincidental.
The newspaper Etemad, in its analysis of these events, compared the instrumental use of technology in football to the political and destructive behavior of international institutions. Referring to Rafael Grossi’s conduct in June 2025 and allegedly biased reports that were used as justification for military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the outlet argues that his silence regarding those attacks aligns with today’s controversial FIFA decisions. This striking comparison between two official international bodies in sports and nuclear energy is presented as evidence of a broader behavioral pattern that requires scrutiny regarding Iran’s treatment in global institutions.
According to this analysis, the convergence of these sporting and political developments highlights the need for a strategic shift in Iran’s overall policy approach. Iran, it argues, now needs to structure its political, commercial, and cultural relations with all countries—including Europe, the United States, Russia, and neighboring Asian states—strictly based on national interests. It further suggests rebuilding regional relations to ensure sustainable security in the Middle East with Iran at the center, along with internal political reforms aimed at replacing destructive pressures with healthy competition, as a path toward securing the rights and interests of the Iranian nation in all international arenas.
Do you think the controversial VAR decisions in the 2026 World Cup were merely technical mistakes, or do they indicate a coordinated approach against Iran? Share your analysis on the alleged double standards of international organizations in the comments.
