Iran To Boycott 2026 World Cup Draw Over US Visa Denials

Iran will boycott next week’s World Cup draw in Washington after the United States refused to grant visas to several members of the Iranian delegation, the Iranian Football Federation announced on Friday.

“We have informed FIFA that the decisions taken have nothing to do with sports, and the members of the Iranian delegation will not participate in the World Cup draw,” a federation spokesperson told state television.

Earlier reports from Iranian sports website Varzesh 3 said the US had denied visas to key officials, including the federation president, Mehdi Taj.

On Thursday, Taj described the move as politically motivated, adding that FIFA had been informed that the US decision was “purely a political position” and urging the football governing body to intervene.

According to Varzesh 3, four members of the delegation, including coach Amir Ghalenoei, had been granted visas for the December 5 draw.

Iran secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup in March, marking their fourth consecutive appearance and seventh overall.

While they were yet to advance past the knockout stages, Iran’s 2-1 victory over the United States in the 1998 finals remains a historic moment in the nation’s football history.

The USA later avenged the loss with a 1-0 win over Iran in the 2022 edition.

Relations between the United States and Iran have been tense for over four decades.

The two nations had engaged in high-level nuclear talks earlier this year, which broke down in mid-June following an unprecedented bombing campaign by Israel on Iranian territory, prompting limited US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.