Due to a diplomatic row, Iran out of the 2026 World Cup draw in the US | OneFootball

The upcoming December 5th will see the Group Stage Draw for the 2026 World Cup take place in Washington, the chosen venue to kick off the excitement for the new edition of the World Cup ahead of the Centenario.

At this event, there will be no representatives from the Iranian Federation present, as they are experiencing issues with their visa authorizations, the result of a diplomatic conflict imposed by Donald Trump.

Even though the Federation asked Gianni Infantino for assistance to take part in the draw, the American president reportedly did not relent, as confirmed by Iranian spokesperson Amir Mehdi Alavi, who stated: “We have informed FIFA that the decision by the United States has nothing to do with sports and that the members of the Iranian delegation will not participate in the World Cup draw.”

The situation did not come as a surprise to the Iranian Federation or its officials, who hope that their matches will be held in Canada or Mexico, the other two host countries with whom they have no diplomatic issues.

Although Trump confirmed that the players and coaching staff of Iran will not have any problems, there are concerns for the safety of officials, journalists, and even fans. It’s worth noting that recently, Iranians living in the United States have not been able to receive visits due to this ban, even though their daily lives are not affected.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.