Iran has opted not to attend the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington next week as the U.S. denied visas to its delegation members, as reported by the state-run IRNA news agency on Friday. Iranian soccer federation spokesman Amir-Mahdi Alavi highlighted that the visa complications faced by officials extended beyond sports matters. The White House has not issued an immediate response.
Alavi mentioned that the federation had reached out to FIFA in hopes of resolving the situation. FIFA, the governing body of soccer, has not addressed the issue yet. In June, President Donald Trump’s administration announced a travel ban on citizens from 12 countries, including Iran. Notably, Haiti, which recently qualified for the World Cup, was also on the list.
However, exemptions were assured for individuals related to major sporting events such as the World Cup, Olympics, or others as determined by the secretary of state. It remains uncertain whether these exemptions apply to the World Cup draw scheduled for December 5 at the Kennedy Center.
The Iranian delegation was anticipated to be led by Mehdi Taj, the president of its soccer federation and a prominent figure in Asian soccer. Taj holds positions as one of the vice presidents of the Asian Football Confederation and is a member of FIFA committees overseeing the World Cup and men’s national team soccer.
The 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, will feature a record 48 teams and is set to take place from June 11 to July 19.
