The Iranian football federation announced this decision, stating that the visa refusals are a political move unrelated to sports. Federation spokesperson Amir Mehdi Alavi emphasized that FIFA has been informed of Iran’s decision not to participate in the draw
By Asaye Bankole
Iran is boycotting next week’s World Cup finals draw in Washington due to the United States’ refusal to grant visas to several members of the Iranian delegation.
The Iranian football federation announced this decision, stating that the visa refusals are a political move unrelated to sports. Federation spokesperson Amir Mehdi Alavi emphasized that FIFA has been informed of Iran’s decision not to participate in the draw.
The visa denials include high-ranking officials such as Mehdi Taj, president of the Iranian Football Federation, and Mehdi Nabi, vice president. Four members of the delegation, including coach Amir Ghalenoei, have been granted visas, but Iran deems this insufficient.
This boycott highlights the strained relations between the US and Iran, which have been at odds for over four decades. The decision also raises concerns about potential disruptions to Iran’s preparations for the World Cup, scheduled to take place in the US, Canada, and Mexico in 2026 .
An Iranian sports website, Varzesh 3, reported on Tuesday that the US had denied visas to several Iranian football officials, including the federation president, Mehdi Taj. Taj responded on Thursday, calling the decision “political”.
He said, “We’ve told FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, that this is a purely political move, and FIFA should tell the US to stop this behavior.” According to Varzesh 3, four Iranian officials, including coach Amir Ghalenoei, received visas for the December 5 draw. Iran qualified for the World Cup in March, securing their fourth consecutive appearance and seventh overall. Despite not progressing to the knockout stages yet, Iran’s 2-1 win over the US in 1998 was a highlight.
The US later avenged that loss with a 1-0 win in 2022. The US is co-hosting the World Cup with Canada and Mexico.
However, they ended when Israel started an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran mid-June, which triggered a 12-day war. The US briefly joined, striking key Iranian nuclear facilities.
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