The way US President Joe Biden celebrated his country's victory over his Iranian counterpart in the Qatar 2022 World Cup - with a clean goal - sparked a state of controversy on social media platforms.

This comes as the managing director of the Iranian national team presented a souvenir to his American counterpart, prior to the match that brought them together, which took on political dimensions.

The football confrontation between the two countries came 24 years after the last meeting between the two teams in the 1998 World Cup in France, which at the time was dubbed by then-NFL President Alan Rothenberg as the "Mother of Matches";

Because it came - also - in light of the great tension in the relations between the two countries.

The presence of Iran and America in the same group was difficult to separate from politics and to consider it only in sports, despite FIFA's motto, which says that "in football, there is no place for politics."

President Biden announces #TeamUSA @USMNT victory over Iran: "The game's over! That's a big game man!"#WorldCup #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/4sT9PjTLPv

— CSPAN (@cspan) November 29, 2022

And a video clip published by a platform supported by the US government showed President Biden - on the sidelines of his presence at a conference in Michigan - moving enthusiastically, heading towards the podium to broadcast the news to those present, then he shouted through the loudspeaker, "The United States is a goal, and Iran is zero ... the game is over." .

And Biden - who was in a state of great happiness - added, "America... America, it was a big match. When I spoke to the coach and the players, I told them, 'Can you do it?' They said yes, they did it, God loved them."

It is very clear that the psychological charge and the accumulation of US-Iranian events made Biden declare victory https://t.co/mR2CGszamJ

- Mustafa Al-Naami (@m_alnamai) November 29, 2022

Arab and Western bloggers criticized the way Biden announced the victory, as some of them considered it "propaganda", noting that the video appeared as a declaration of political victory, and not a victory in a football match, while others said that it is not a war in order to deal with the event in this way.

"When you have a president who has no achievement, winning a ball game becomes heroic," Iraqi politician Qusay Mahbooba said - through his Twitter account.

Propaganda https://t.co/rdo35UFort

- Ayoub (@ Ali99353279) November 30, 2022

Blogger Riyad Al-Nuaimi commented, saying, "It is very clear that the psychological tension and accumulation of American-Iranian events made Biden declare victory."

One of the Arab tweeters said, "When football as a sport overlaps in the arena of politics, whoever thinks that politics is far from any field of my life is delusional."

Not football but more https://t.co/Kx0NSiBJUr

- Abdulsalam (@8ui_u) November 29, 2022

One of the American tweeters mocked Biden's ability to broadcast the news without making mistakes, saying, "I am really amazed at Biden's ability to convey this message without a note card. Was there someone who helped him with the indoctrination?"

Dear @CNN you miss this, oh!

is it because it didn't serve your western narratives.?

Donation of a special carpet for the game between Iran and America by the manager of the Iranian national team to the manager of the United States team..#IranvsUSA #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/wZ2tKALWyI

- Al Aqeel Jawadđźš© (@JawadAbubakar7) November 29, 2022

Iranian gift

On the other hand, pictures circulated on electronic platforms showed the supervisor of the Iranian national team and his American counterpart, carrying an Iranian-made carpet, on which the logo of the elected officials was woven, after which the two supervisors shook hands in a friendly manner.

Tweeters described the Iranian gesture as a successful step that embodies the sportsmanship that should be enjoyed by the politically opposing parties in football confrontations, and Iranians hoped that the initiative would be an opportunity to revive dialogue between Washington and Tehran.

#Iran national soccer team's administrative chief presented his #US counterpart with an Iranian-made carpet commemorating the game in which Iran lost to America.


Technically, US official cannot bring this gift into the US without a Treasury waiver.#USAvIRN pic.twitter.com/kftZ8y3mg9

- Hussain Abdul-Hussain (@hahussain) November 29, 2022

The journalist, Saleh Gharib, said - through his Twitter account - "The supervisor of the Iranian national team presents his American counterpart with a Persian carpet before their match in the third round, which ended with America's victory over Iran, but Qatar remains united in morals and rejects sedition between peoples, and the match remains a victory and a loss in the end." .

The supervisor of the Iranian team presents his American counterpart with a Persian carpet before their match in the third round, which ended with America's victory over Iran, but Qatar continues to gather morals and reject strife between peoples, and the match remains a victory and a loss in the end pic.twitter.com/kJkMRhosht

- Saleh Gharib (@ Salehghareeb8) November 30, 2022

One of the Iranian tweeters commented, "Everything is not as we see it. Perhaps God wills and this bad day for Iranian football becomes good for the country's relations."

Iranian human rights activist Aqil Jawad criticized the American media for not dealing with the news or interacting with it, describing it as not "serving the Western narrative."

Sportsmanship.. A beautiful Iranian step 👇

The supervisor of the Iranian national team presents the US national team manager with a commemorative rug for the two teams' match.

pic.twitter.com/iQv0cmS8Bs

- Khalil Nasrallah (@khalilnasrallah) November 29, 2022

In addition, the researcher at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, American National Security and Foreign Policy, Hussein Abdul Hussein, said - through his Twitter account - "from a technical point of view, the American official cannot bring this gift to the United States without approval from the Treasury Department," referring to Washington's decision. The previous one banned the import and introduction of Iranian carpets, as part of the series of sanctions imposed on Tehran.

In 2018, Washington imposed a series of sanctions on Tehran because of the Iranian nuclear program, some of which included banning the import of Iranian carpets to the United States, while Tehran met the decision with an objection to the International Court.

The match between the American and Iranian teams received wide international attention, and some even described it as a political match, in light of the tense relations between Washington and Tehran for decades.