Iran has made the decision to skip the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington next week due to visa denials for its delegation members by the U.S., as reported by the state-run IRNA news agency on Friday. The Iranian soccer federation spokesman, Amir-Mahdi Alavi, stated that officials encountered visa challenges that extended beyond sports-related matters. The White House has not provided an immediate response to this development.
Alavi mentioned that the federation had contacted FIFA in the hopes of finding a resolution to the issue, but there has been no immediate feedback from soccer’s governing body. In June, President Donald Trump’s administration introduced a travel ban affecting citizens from 12 countries, including Iran. The list also included Haiti, a country that recently qualified for the World Cup.
Notably, exemptions were assured for individuals related to athletic teams, coaches, necessary support staff, and immediate relatives traveling for major sporting events like the World Cup, Olympics, or others as determined by the secretary of state. It remains uncertain if these exemptions extend to the World Cup draw scheduled for December 5 at the Kennedy Center.
The Iranian delegation, anticipated to be led by soccer federation president Mehdi Taj, a prominent figure in Asian soccer and a member of key FIFA committees overseeing the World Cup, was expected to participate. Taj serves as one of the vice presidents of the Asian Football Confederation and contributes to FIFA panels responsible for the organization’s competitions and men’s national team soccer.
The upcoming World Cup, hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, will feature a record 48 teams.