page_title: List of 2014 FIFA World Cup controversies
section_title: Argentina vs Iran
hierarchical_section_title: List of 2014 FIFA World Cup controversies / Group stage / Argentina vs Iran
caption_attribution_description: English: Iran and Argentina national football teams match, 2014 FIFA World Cup Group F
context_page_description: The 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil generated various controversies, including demonstrations, some of which took place even before the tournament started. Most centred on officiating, with referees coming under criticism for their performances. Furthermore, there were various issues with safety, including eight deaths of workers and a fire during construction, breaches into stadiums, an unstable makeshift staircase at the Maracanã Stadium, a monorail collapse, and the collapse of an unfinished overpass in Belo Horizonte. The most notable disciplinary case was that of Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez, who was disciplined after biting an Italian player, defender Giorgio Chiellini, during a game.
context_section_description: During the Group F game between Argentina and Iran, Serbian referee Milorad Mažić allegedly failed to award a penalty kick that would have favoured Iran. In addition to sparking a furious response from the Iranian players who rushed and bumped the referee, Mažić's non-call on Argentine defender Pablo Zabaleta's penalty area challenge on Iranian midfielder Ashkan Dejagah in the 55th minute produced a post-match discussion on whether a foul had been committed. Iranian print media, including the Jam-e-jam, Quds, and Iran daily newspapers, lambasted Mažić over his decision not to award a penalty shot, citing him as the reason Argentina won the match, Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey of Pravda.ru declared Mažić "either biased or incompetent" before proclaiming his 55th minute decision "a disgusting comment on the quality of referees chosen to manage the games of the FIFA World Cup", Metro wrote that despite Zabaleta getting his toe to the ball when tackling Dejagah, "replays showed Iran should've been awarded a spot-kick", SB Nation's Kim McCauley felt Dejagah had a "strong claim for a penalty". However, The Guardian's Barney Ronay and the Associated Press's Karl Ritter wrote in their reports that television replays suggest Zabaleta had gotten a touch on the ball first before bringing down Dejagah and therefore did not foul the Iranian. The Daily Telegraph also thought that the call was correct: "[Dejagah] is screaming for a penalty, so much so that he almost manhandles the referee in his frustration. I've no idea why, as replays suggest Zabaleta won the ball, albeit a little clumsily."
  Iran's coach Carlos Queiroz questioned the 55th-minute non-call in his post-match comments, saying, "It should have been a penalty and red card. There's no excuse. There's nothing that can explain [why] this Serbian referee [did] not give the penalty. How can this guy sleep tonight, or for the rest of his life? With all respect, I would like to have the opportunity to have a one-on-one conversation with him. Why did he do that to us?" Argentina's coach Alejandro Sabella supported Mažić's non-call, feeling that Zabaleta got the ball first in his challenge.
  Two days after the match, the Iranian Football Federation filed an official complaint to FIFA over Mažić's refereeing. Signed by the Federation's general secretary Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, among other things it read, "Unfortunately the referee’s mistake altered the outcome of the game and helped the Argentine side edge past us".
caption: Iran national team players Ashkan Dejagah and Masoud Shojaei protesting Milorad Mažić
exif: {"Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)"}