Iran has announced it will boycott next week’s World Cup finals draw in Washington after the United States refused to grant visas to several members of its delegation, the Iranian Football Federation said on Friday.
“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,” a federation spokesperson told state television.
According to Iranian sports outlet Varzesh 3, the US declined visas for key officials, including federation president Mehdi Taj. Taj described the move as politically motivated, urging FIFA president Gianni Infantino to intervene.
“We have told the head of FIFA, Mr. Infantino, that it is purely a political position and that FIFA must tell them (US) to desist from this behaviour,” Taj said.
Varzesh 3 reported that four other delegation members, including coach Amir Ghalenoei, were granted visas for the December 5 draw.
Iran secured its place in the World Cup in March, marking a fourth consecutive appearance and the country’s seventh overall. While the team has yet to reach the knockout stages, it famously defeated the USA 2-1 in the 1998 finals in France. The United States returned the favor by beating Iran 1-0 in the 2022 edition.
The boycott reflects broader tensions between the two countries, which have had strained relations for over four decades. Although Tehran and Washington had engaged in nuclear talks earlier this year, these ended abruptly in mid-June after Israel launched a bombing campaign against Iran, briefly joined by US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
