MatchZone

Prominent international media outlets are urging FIFA and IFAB to revise the offside law following the controversial incident that saw Iran eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Iran could have secured victory had their winning goal against Egypt been allowed in the final round. Instead, the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

The incident has drawn attention from the renowned international publication Forbes.

The outlet argued that football's governing bodies, FIFA and IFAB, should reconsider the current offside law. Its article was titled: "Iran's World Cup Exit Shows the Offside Law Needs to Change."

"For Khalilzadeh to be ruled offside was the result of a technical loophole in the wording of the law—one that confused many viewers in real time and, at least during the match, may even have confused Khalilzadeh himself," Forbes wrote.

"When a goalkeeper is no longer positioned between the two deepest defenders, it is usually because he has reacted suddenly to the play. If an attacking player is judged offside in such a situation, it is typically because the goalkeeper has misread the sequence of play."

"In these circumstances, expecting an attacker to constantly be aware of the goalkeeper's position in order to remain onside is both unrealistic and unfair," the article continued.

"The simplest solution would be for IFAB (the International Football Association Board) to rewrite the law by distinguishing the goalkeeper from outfield defenders when determining offside. Other proposals include eliminating offside decisions altogether once a team enters the penalty area, creating a rule more similar to the offside system used in ice hockey."

"Regardless, one thing is clear: under the current wording of the law, Khalilzadeh was offside. But in the spirit of the game, he and his Iranian teammates were treated unfairly and did not deserve to be one of the 16 teams eliminated from the tournament," Forbes concluded.

A funny moment took place during Brazil's press conference involving striker Rayan and a reporter ahead of their FIFA World Cup Round of 32 clash against Japan.

Reporter:
"Who do you think is Japan's most dangerous player?"
Rayan:
"Wow...!"
"To be honest, I DON'T KNOW who their most dangerous player is!" 😂

The entire press room burst into laughter, but Rayan quickly continued his answer:
"I can't tell who their most dangerous player is just by watching videos. But I do know they're a very strong team with a lot of quality. We know we'll have to work hard throughout the week to prepare well, give our best, and fight for the win."