Iran to skip 2026 World Cup draw as US fails to grant enough visas | OneFootball

Iran plans to boycott the 2026 World Cup draw, scheduled for Friday, December 5 in Washington, because the United States did not grant visas to several members of its delegation. The Iranian Football Federation announced that, given this situation, it decided not to send representatives to the event that will determine the formation of the groups for the next World Cup.

Meanwhile, Amir Mehdi Alavi, the spokesperson for the delegation, explained to local media that they informed FIFA that the reasons are not sports-related: “We have informed that the decisions made have nothing to do with sports and that the members of the Iranian delegation will not participate in the World Cup draw.”

The Iranian federation also requested the direct intervention of FIFA. Mehdi Taj, its president, stated that they notified Gianni Infantino that it is a purely political stance by the U.S. government and demanded that the organization insist on separating diplomatic conflicts from sporting events. So far, FIFA has not issued any official statement regarding the protest or any parallel efforts to ensure Iran's participation.

The background of this dispute is set against more than four decades of tensions between the United States and Iran. This is compounded by intermittent nuclear negotiations and the recent military escalation in the region, which has led to cross-attacks and the interruption of diplomatic dialogue. In this context, the organization of the draw on U.S. soil has reignited the political clash.

In strictly football terms, the Iranians secured their qualification for the World Cup in Canada, the United States, and Mexico in March, and will face their seventh participation in the competition. Their most emblematic match against the Americans remains the 1998 victory by 2-1, celebrated as a historic milestone by the country. In Qatar 2022, however, the 1-0 defeat against the U.S. marked their elimination.

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