FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, are facing a lawsuit worth approximately 850 million euros due to the elimination of the Iranian national team from the World Cup. The action was filed in the Federal Court of Boston by Lotfollah Kaveh Afrasiabi, an Iranian-American citizen, on behalf of 91 million Iranians. The complaint, reported by the British newspaper The Independent, alleges “blatant discrimination” by FIFA. The central point of the accusation is the disallowance of a goal by Shojae Khalilzadeh against Egypt, which, according to the complainant, would have secured victory and qualification for Iran in the next stage of the competition. The goal was ruled offside after a VAR intervention. The lawsuit claims that the decision caused significant emotional distress to fans: “Iranian or Iranian-American citizens who supported the Iranian national football team suffered emotional damages due to the blatant discrimination against their beloved team,” the document states. Lotfollah Kaveh Afrasiabi, 68, is an international affairs analyst, a former professor at Harvard University, and a former advisor to Iran’s nuclear negotiation team during the Barack Obama administration. Afrasiabi claims there is “clear and undeniable evidence” that Iran’s elimination resulted from an “unjust VAR decision.” In addition to the disallowed goal, the lawsuit accuses FIFA of failing to ensure equitable preparation conditions for Iran, citing travel restrictions, the relocation of training sites to Mexico, and the refusal of visas to 11 delegation members. According to Afrasiabi, these situations, combined with the elimination of a team that finished the group stage unbeaten with three draws, constituted a humiliation for millions of Iranians. So far, FIFA has not commented on the lawsuit.
Read more in Serie A news. and related tags: World Cup FIFA, Gianni Infantino.