MAGA Guide: Iran’s president on Trump’s intervention in US FIFA red card spate

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has lashed out at the US over a World Cup red card controversy that has become a global talking point and drawn harsh condemnation from the sporting world. Paralleling US foreign policy, he argued that the behavior of the government led by US President Donald Trump defined “bullying rivals” and “cheating”, which is their “MAGA toy”.

“The behavior of the US government as the host of the FIFA World Cup follows its known foreign policy: bending the rules, bullying opponents, creating obstacles and cheating. This is their manual for MAGA. Iran rejects such games. We firmly stand by our rights,” Pezeshkian wrote on Twitter.

Interestingly, his tweet came just minutes after Trump blasted Tehran, saying Washington’s interim peace deal with them “is over.”

The controversy arose after Trump reported on Truth Social that he had intervened to ask FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review the red card and subsequent one-match ban given to US forward Folarin Balogun ahead of their clash with Belgium. Although the 80-year-old US president insisted that he was simply asking for a review of the decision and not asking for an outcome, the development sparked a strong reaction.

The Belgian Football Federation questioned Balogun’s fitness to play and UEFA in Europe condemned FIFA’s “incomprehensible and unjustifiable” decision. The striker still played in the Round of 32 clash, where the USA were beaten 1-4 by Belgium. The Belgian players celebrated in front of American fans by performing Trump’s famous “YMCA” dance move, which quickly went viral on social media. The Belgian football organization also posted a picture on Instagram of their star striker Romelu Lukaku celebrating after his goal in the match with the caption “Rewind it”.

Pezeshkian’s strong remarks to the US government, with a message aimed at Tehran, which rejects such games, come as the long-standing peace deal between the two sides looks tenuous.

Iran struck three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz between Monday and Tuesday. This prompted a new wave of strikes from Washington, which claimed they targeted more than 80 locations in Iran in retaliation for the attacks on the ships. Tehran promised the necessary measures. With Trump possibly ruling out the preservation of an interim peace deal and cease-fire by calling Tehran “filth and sick people,” the flashpoint between Iran and America is set to intensify.

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Published on:

08 Jul 2026 15:10 IST