The Iranian soccer federation will not attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw on Friday in Washington, D.C., as a form of protest against the allocation of United States visas for its delegation.
Iran qualified for the World Cup, which is hosted largely by the US, with a number of games, including the Final, to be held at MetLife Stadium just outside of New York, back in March. It was during the 2025 AFC final against Uzbekistan that FIFA president Gianni Infantino guaranteed that Iranian representation would not encounter any issues obtaining the necessary visas to enter the country, whether for the draw or the tournament, which spans from June to July.
However, Iran’s delegation was only granted four visas to attend the draw, and one was not issued to the president of its soccer federation, Mehdi Taj.
Tensions between the United States and Iran have been elevated for years, and in June, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning nationals from 12 countries from entering the country, Iran being one of those included nations.
The executive order was intended to provide exemptions for athletes and team management traveling to the US for the World Cup this summer and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
AmNewYork has contacted the Iranian soccer federation and FIFA for comment.
