Iran has announced that it will boycott next week’s World Cup finals draw in Washington due to the United States’ refusal to issue visas for several members of its delegation.

The decision was confirmed by the Iranian Football Federation, IFF, on Friday.

 

In a statement from the spokesperson for the federation said, “We have informed FIFA that the decisions taken are not related to sports, and the members of the Iranian delegation will not participate in the World Cup draw.”

According to Iranian sports website Varzesh 3, the U.S. denied visas to multiple members of the Iranian delegation, including IFF president Mehdi Taj. Taj publicly condemned the decision as politically motivated, stating on Thursday, “We have told FIFA president Gianni Infantino that this is purely a political stance, and FIFA must urge the U.S. to reverse its actions.”

 

Despite the visa issues, Varzesh 3 reported that four members of the delegation, including head coach Amir Ghalenoei, were granted visas and will attend the draw scheduled for December 5.

Iran secured its spot in the 2026 World Cup following a successful qualification campaign in March, marking their fourth consecutive appearance in the tournament and seventh overall.

 

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While Iran has yet to advance past the group stages, their historic 2-1 victory over the U.S. in the 1998 World Cup in France remains a defining moment in their football history. The U.S. later defeated Iran 1-0 in the 2022 edition of the tournament.

 

The ongoing political tension between the U.S. and Iran, which has lasted for more than four decades, has been exacerbated by recent developments. Although high-level nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington began earlier this year, they collapsed in June following Israel’s unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran, which escalated into a 12-day conflict.

 

As co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico, the U.S. is at the center of this latest diplomatic dispute, with the upcoming draw set to take place amid these tensions.

 

Source: Punch