Iran to boycott World Cup draw over visa restrictions

IRAN intends to boycott next week's World Cup draw due to the limited number of visas allocated to the country's football federation.

AI Brief

US approved visas for four Iranian delegates but denied three, including FFIRI president Mehdi Taj.
Iran informed FIFA the decision was political and its delegation will skip the World Cup draw.
The 2026 World Cup draw is set for Dec. 5 in Washington, with the tournament hosted by US, Canada, and Mexico.

According to the Tehran Times, the United States issued visas to only four members of Iran's delegation, with requests for three additional visas denied, including one for Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) President Mehdi Taj.

"We have informed FIFA that the decisions taken are unrelated to sport and that the members of the Iranian delegation will not participate in the World Cup draw," FFIRI spokesman Mehdi Alavi said on Friday, per the report.

Alavi said the federation has been in contact with FIFA in an effort to resolve the situation.

The World Cup draw will take place on Dec. 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

The expanded 48-team World Cup is being hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Matches will be played at 16 venues, including three in Mexico and two in Canada.

The draw will sort the teams into 12 groups of four. The top two teams from each group and the eight best third-place teams will advance to the knockout stage.

Iran has secured a spot in its fourth consecutive World Cup and seventh appearance overall.

--Field Level Media