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. Iranian soccer federation spokesman Amir-Mahdi Alavi stated that officials encountered visa challenges beyond just sports-related issues. The White House has not provided an immediate response to these claims.
Alavi mentioned that the federation had contacted FIFA in hopes of finding a resolution to the visa problem. FIFA, the governing body of soccer, has not yet responded to the request for a comment. In June, President Donald Trump’s administration announced a travel ban affecting citizens from 12 countries, including Iran. Notably, Haiti, which recently qualified for the World Cup, was also on the list.
While exemptions were assured for athletes, coaches, support staff, and immediate family members traveling for major sporting events, it is uncertain if these exemptions extend to the World Cup draw scheduled for December 5 at the Kennedy Center. The Iranian delegation, 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 attend the event.
The upcoming World Cup, jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, will feature a record 48 teams.