Iran Files €850 Million Lawsuit Against FIFA Over World Cup Elimination

FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, face a lawsuit demanding approximately €850 million following Iran's elimination from the World Cup. The suit was filed in the federal court in Boston by Lotfollah Kaveh Afrasiabi, an Iranian-American citizen, representing 91 million Iranians. According to The Independent, the lawsuit alleges blatant discrimination by FIFA, centering on the disallowed goal by Iranian player Shoja Khalilzadeh in the 1-1 match against Egypt. The goal was ruled offside after a VAR review, a decision Afrasiabi claims should have granted Iran a victory and advancement to the next stage.

The lawsuit states that this decision caused significant emotional distress among Iranian and Iranian-American fans, describing the treatment as "blatant discrimination" against their beloved national team. Afrasiabi, a 68-year-old international relations analyst and former Harvard lecturer who advised Iran's nuclear negotiation team during the Obama administration, asserts there is "clear and undeniable evidence" that Iran's elimination resulted from an unfair VAR judgment.

Beyond the disallowed goal, the lawsuit accuses FIFA of failing to provide Iran with equal training conditions, citing travel restrictions, relocating training sessions to Mexico, and denying entry visas to 11 delegation members. Afrasiabi argues these combined circumstances, alongside Iran finishing the group stage undefeated with three draws, amounted to a humiliation for millions of Iranians. FIFA has not yet responded to the lawsuit.