Iran to attend World Cup draw after boycott threat

By Daily Sports Nigeria on December 4, 2025

A delegation from Iran will attend the 2026 World Cup draw in the US on Friday after threatening to boycott it over a visa row.

Iran applied for nine visas but were issued four, with Mehdi Taj, president of Iran's football federation (FFIRI), among those rejected.

Taj said this week that he spoke with Fifa president Gianni Infantino and that no-one from Iran would attend the draw "unless all visas are issued".

However, Iran coach Amir Ghalenoi and Omid Jamali, head of international relations at the FFIRI, have travelled to the US and could be joined by more delegates.

The draw will take place in Washington DC on Friday at 17:00 GMT.

Iran have qualified for their seventh World Cup and fourth in succession.

The US, which is co-hosting the tournament with Canada and Mexico, has long-standing strict visa restrictions on Iranians for political and security reasons.

In June US President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning nationals from 12 countries from entering the US, citing an effort to manage security threats.

Iran is among the countries affected by the ban, although the executive order is supposed to exempt athletes and coaching staff travelling for the World Cup and 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Source BBC Sports

Posted December 4, 2025


 

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