Iran to boycott World Cup draw ceremony over US visa denial
No Iranian representative will take part in Friday’s 2026 World Cup draw ceremony in Washington, D.C., Amirmahdi Alavi, spokesman for the Iranian Football Federation, announced on Friday.
The decision comes after the United States refused to issue entry visas for several members of the Iranian delegation – most notably Mehdi Taj, chairman of the national governing body.
Iran topped Group A in the third round of the Asian qualifiers in June to secure its seventh World Cup appearance – and fourth in a row.
The expanded 48-team finals will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19 next year. “No Iranian representatives will attend the ceremony,” Mehr News Agency quoted Alavi as saying.
“After consultations with the federation’s board, the Ministry of Sports, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the decision was communicated to the FIFA,” added Alavi, who blamed the measures taken by the United States as “non-sporting and deviated from standard athletic procedures.”
Alavi said FIFA has assured Iranian officials that the matter will be seriously addressed.
According to Varzesh3, Iran head coach Amir Qalenoei and Mohammad-Mahdi Nabi, the federation’s vice-president, are among five Iranians who were granted US visas. However, Alavi stressed that there are no guarantees the delegation would not face additional issues if they were to attend the ceremony.
Ranked 20th in the latest FIFA Men’s Ranking, Iran will be placed in Pot 2 for the World Cup draw, alongside fellow AFC teams Japan, South Korea, and Australia, as well as Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Senegal, Ecuador, and Austria.