Iran has decided not to participate in the 2026 World Cup draw ceremony on December 5 in Washington after the United States refused to grant visas to several members of its delegation, the Iranian federation announced this Friday (28).
The United States, which has not maintained diplomatic relations with Iran for more than four decades, Canada and Mexico are the hosts of the 2026 World Cup.
Most matches, including the final, will be played on American soil.
Iran qualified for the World Cup for the seventh time in March, the fourth in a row, although they never progressed beyond the group stage. The team is in pot 2 of the draw, as established by FIFA (International Football Federation).
Iranian sports website Varzesh 3 reported on Tuesday (25) that the United States did not grant visas to some members of the Iranian delegation, including Mehdi Taj, president of the country’s football federation.
“We inform FIFA that the decisions taken are not related to sport and that the members of the Iranian delegation will not participate in the World Cup draw,” the country’s football federation spokesman announced on state television.
According to Varzesh 3, four members of the delegation, including the national team coach, Amir Ghalenoei, received visas to travel to the United States.
On Thursday (27), the president of the federation denounced a “political” decision by the United States, reported the Mehr agency.
“We have declared to the President of FIFA, Mr. (Gianni) Infantino, that this is a purely political position and we ask him to stop this behavior,” he added.
Iran and the United States, enemies for more than four decades, had begun negotiations in April under the mediation of the Sultanate of Oman over Iran’s controversial nuclear program.
But talks have been at a standstill since Israel’s surprise attack on Iran on June 13, which triggered a 12-day conflict between the two countries, during which the United States attacked three key Iranian nuclear facilities.
