Iran will not participate in next week’s World Cup draw in Washington after the United States refused to grant entry visas to several members of its football delegation, the Iranian Football Federation announced on Friday.
A federation spokesperson told state television that Tehran had informed FIFA of its decision, stressing that the U.S. visa refusal was “not related to sports.”
“We have informed FIFA that the decisions taken have nothing to do with sports, and the members of the Iranian delegation will not participate in the World Cup draw,” the official said.
According to Iranian sports outlet Varzesh 3, key officials including federation president Mehdi Taj were denied visas. Taj earlier criticised the U.S. decision as “purely political,” urging FIFA to intervene and ensure fairness for all participating nations.
Despite the setback, four members of the delegation, including national team coach Amir Ghalenoei, reportedly received visas for the December 5 draw.
Iran qualified for the 2026 World Cup in March, marking their fourth consecutive appearance and seventh overall. Although the team has never advanced past the group stage, their 2-1 victory over the United States in the 1998 World Cup remains a historic highlight. The U.S. later defeated Iran 1-0 in their 2022 group stage encounter.
Diplomatic relations between Washington and Tehran have been strained for more than 40 years. Efforts at nuclear negotiations collapsed in mid-June after unprecedented Israeli airstrikes on Iranian territory, which triggered limited U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear infrastructure.
