Iran is skipping the draw for the 2026 World Cup next week in Washington because the U.S. wouldn’t give visas to its delegation. The state-run news agency IRNA reported this.
Amir-Mahdi Alavi, a spokesman for the Iranian soccer federation, explained that the visa problems go beyond just sports. The White House hasn’t commented yet.
Alavi mentioned that they had reached out to FIFA for help in sorting things out, but FIFA hasn’t responded yet, according to the Associated Press.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump’s administration put a travel ban in place for citizens from 12 countries, including Iran and Haiti, which just qualified for the World Cup. While there were supposed to be exemptions for athletes and team members traveling for major sporting events, it’s unclear if those apply to the World Cup draw happening on December 5 at the Kennedy Center.
The Iranian delegation was likely going to be led by Mehdi Taj, the president of the Iranian soccer federation. He’s a big player in Asian soccer and serves on two FIFA committees related to the World Cup. He also has a high-ranking position with the Asian Football Confederation and is involved with FIFA panels overseeing competitions and men’s national soccer teams.
The upcoming World Cup, scheduled for June 11 to July 19, will be a landmark event as a record 48 teams will compete. It will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
