Iranian President Slams US: World Cup Host Cheated, Bent Rules

JAKARTA - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has accused the United States of using its status as one of the hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to pressure rival countries.

Pezeshkian through the X social media platform confirmed that Tehran strongly rejected Washington's "bullying" actions.

"The behavior of the US government as the host of the World Cup follows its foreign policy so far: bending the rules, intimidating opponents, creating obstacles, and cheating. This is their MAGA tactic. Iran rejects such games. We are determined to defend our rights," Pezeshkian wrote, quoted by ANTARA from Anadolu, Wednesday, July 8.

The statement was made amid a highly tense geopolitical situation, following a US air strike on Iranian military targets due to increased maritime tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as US President Donald Trump's statement that a temporary ceasefire agreement with Tehran had "ended."

The statement also came after weeks of discord over the tournament's staging between Tehran and Washington.

The tension between the United States and Iran increased due to strict visa restrictions so that a number of key technical staff of the Iranian team could not enter the US territory. In addition, the security rules imposed also prohibit the Iranian team from setting up training camps in the United States.

As a result, the Iranian squad had to base themselves in Tijuana, Mexico, and were only allowed to fly to the US on match day and were required to return immediately after the match.

Despite facing various logistical obstacles, Iran remained unbeaten in the group stage before their journey ended on June 28, 2026 after failing to qualify for the knockout stages.

Pezeshkian's criticism also coincided with the heating up of the global debate on the integrity of the tournament.

A major controversy erupted after Trump stated that he had personally intervened by asking FIFA President Gianni Infantino to cancel the suspension penalty against US national team striker Folarin Balogun.

The move triggered harsh criticism from a number of European football authorities and opposing teams who judged that there had been political interference in the sport.